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CHAPTER 1

Present Day

“T ristan, is there anything you’d like to talk about today?” Dr. David Bryne asked, the words leaving his mouth with very little effort or thought, thanks to twenty years of practice.

Biting back a satisfied sigh, David settled back in his favorite faux leather chair as he looked through the thick personnel file on his lap that he technically wasn’t supposed to have access to, but given the patient that he was dealing with, it had been agreed that a few rules needed to be broken.

After a moment of silence, David looked up from his notes to find the patient he’d been dying to get on his couch for years lying on the couch across from him, reading a book, and clearly determined to ignore him again. At least this time Tristan wasn’t planning on glaring at him for the entire session. Even David had to admit that had been a little unnerving. Not that he would ever admit this, but that one session almost had him rethinking taking this case.

“Tristan, this is your third appointment in the last two weeks and you have yet to participate in a conversation. I think it would be beneficial for you to talk about something that’s bothering you,” David drawled, not really expecting a response as he returned his attention to the thick file that would probably take the entire session to read through again and-

“Can it be anything?” Tristan suddenly asked, taking him by surprise since he never expected Tristan to say anything. Perhaps he was finally about to make some real progress with the stubborn man that had intrigued him since he was a boy. At least, he hoped that was the case.

For years, he’d been dying for a chance to get inside Tristan’s head. He wanted to help Tristan open up and get in touch with his feelings, and learn how to express himself in a calm, productive manner. At the very least, he wanted to help Tristan stop being an asshole.

Tristan replaced his bookmark and sat up while he considered him. After a moment, he opened his mouth only to abruptly close it and slowly exhale as he glanced around the room, his gaze pausing on the large bay window behind the desk and then on the door that led to the waiting room.

The only two exits from the room.

“Now, you’re serious that I can talk about anything that’s been bothering me?” Tristan asked, shooting another glance towards the office door.

“Of course, this is a safe space. You can talk to me about anything that’s bothering you, Tristan,” David said, feeling almost giddy at the prospect of finally getting Tristan to open up.

He’d been dying to discover what made Tristan tick since the moment Tom introduced him to his adopted son, his very pissed-off adopted son. He’d known, without a doubt, that given a chance, that he could fix Tristan. Now, it looked as though he was finally about to get his chance.

“I don’t know where to start,” Tristan said, rubbing his hands roughly down his face. “This is pretty serious, Dr. Bryne. I need to know that I have your complete confidence here because what I have to tell you is pretty disturbing,” Tristan explained before adding in a harsh whisper, “maybe too disturbing.”

This had to be the breakthrough that he’d been waiting for, David thought as he slowly moved to the edge of his seat, placing the file on the table so that he could give Tristan his undivided attention.

“What would you like to talk about, Tristan?” David asked in what he hoped was an encouraging tone.

Tristan looked down at his hands and, after a slight pause, shook his head. A moment later, he looked up, appearing as though he was struggling to keep it together as he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Go on,” David murmured, praying that Tristan didn’t stop, not after waiting for this moment after all this time.

“I keep getting these uncontrollable urges to do bad things, but you have to understand that I don’t have a choice, not with the bunnies yelling at me,” Tristan said, shooting nervous glances around the room as he spoke.

“Bunnies?” Dr. Bryne repeated back slowly, almost positive that he’d misheard Tristan.

“Pink bunnies,” Tristan whispered hoarsely.

“ Pink bunnies?”

“They keep telling me to do things… bad things,” Tristan whispered softly, just loud enough for him to hear.

“Tristan, what are they telling you to do? Has anyone been hurt?” David asked, suddenly nervous and for damn good reason.

“I wish I could tell you no, but god, the things they’ve made me do…” Tristan admitted hoarsely, letting his words trail off while David sat there, shocked and admittedly starting to become a bit concerned.

“Dr. Bryne, there have been beatings, vandalism, and, of course, I can’t forget about the sacrifices. Pink bunnies require a lot of human sacrifices,” Tristan said, swallowing hard as David slowly sat back in his chair as his head started spinning. He’d never dealt with anything like this before.

“Dr. Bryne, they beat me,” Tristan whispered in a harsh whisper as his gaze slowly flickered between the door and the window.

“B-Beat you?” David asked, his voice cracking as panic took over. He wasn’t ready for a patient like this. He should have listened to his wife when he had the chance and refused this case.

“They beat me silly when I don’t do what they want. They slap me around like a red-headed stepchild. God, the spankings are awful. They leave little bunny paw prints all over my ass,” Tristan explained as cold green eyes locked on him. “Dr. Bryne, the reason I’m telling you this is because they want me to do something bad and I thought that it was only right to warn you.”

More terrified than he’d ever been in his life, David swallowed hard as he took in the large man watching him. Tristan was over six feet tall, covered in solid muscle, and unfortunately for him, a highly trained police officer. There was no way that he would be able to fight him off if he decided to listen to the voices in his head. Not to mention that he was pretty sure that Tristan was currently armed. Slowly exhaling, David stood up and made his way to his desk, careful to appear relaxed as he sat down.

“What are they telling you to do?” David asked, feigning disinterest as he shot a discreet glance towards the closed office door, calculating his chances of making it to the door before Tristan could stop him.

He had to admit that his chances weren’t very good.

Keeping those cold eyes locked on him, Tristan slowly stood up and walked over to the desk with a predatory gait. For a moment, Tristan simply stood in front of the desk as he stared down at him, further unnerving David. “Doctor, I’m afraid that…” Tristan began only to let his words trail off before noticeably swallowing and making it difficult for David to remember how to breathe.

Trying not to panic, David reached beneath his desk and frantically hit the panic button, praying that the damn thing actually worked. “Yes, Tristan?” he asked, his voice cracking.

“Dr. Bryne, they’re telling me,” Tristan said as he placed his hands on the desk and leaned down, the move leveling cold green eyes on him as his heart began pounding against his chest and-

“That I have to take a leak and to tell you that I don’t need therapy.”

-felt the air rush out of his lungs as relief suddenly flooded his body while Tristan’s words slowly sank in.

“When I come back, we can talk about what the clothes in my closet tell me to do at night,” Tristan drawled as he headed for the door.

Mildred, his secretary of ten years, came running into his office with a cellphone clutched tightly in her hand as soon as Tristan opened the door. When she spotted Tristan, she jumped back, hugging the phone against her chest as she made sure to stay out of his path, making Tristan chuckle.

“Do you need anything, Doctor Bryne?” she asked, shooting nervous glances at Tristan as he walked past her.

“Nothing, Mildred…wait, maybe something cold to drink,” Dr. Bryne mumbled absently as he wiped the sweat off his face with a handkerchief, wondering if it was too early to retire.