Page 26 of His Toy

“Everything has a purpose,” I said. “This information will allow me to manipulate her more thoroughly. To use her for the exact ends. How she ticks. Why she believes what she does. What will get her to bow to my demands, even when her sister is safe.”

The frown lingering on Kiley’s lips showed that she wasn’t convinced. But it didn’t matter what Kiley thought; orders were orders. She knew that.

Grant followed me to the operations room. We took our seats.

“Davis ordered a cleanup and watch of his soon-to-be ex-employee, to be done on the night of the banquet at the Opulence.”

The Opulence was across the street from the Great Pleasures Palace, where Eric hid himself. That detail stood out to me.

“He understands paying for the clean-up, but not for your attendance,” Grant added.

“And he wants the full service at the banquet?” I asked. Grant nodded. Fucking cheapskate billionaires. In the years that Veil Security Services had expanded to take on rich, criminally-minded clients, I had learned that they were cheap, miserable fucks. But they also couldn’t affordnotto use my services.

The Opulence was one of the higher-end casinos and hotels on the Strip, with multiple three-star restaurants, and a private lounge for high rollers, for men like Davis, and the women he ordered.

It would be a manufactured experience, but it could give Heather reprieve for a moment. I could test her there. See how her training was panning out. She would blend in with the others, and I could show her off.

I could show how I’d made her mine.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll attend. You will be in charge of the team. Heather and I will be guests.”

“Understood, sir.”

Until then, we had other plans.

In the bottom drawers of my bedroom closet, I grabbed an unmarked bag of clothing I had sent Donna to find for Heather. Sports clothes, casual wear, a few lingerie items I was eager for her to wear. I removed the trail pants, shirt, jacket, and lace boots. I put the rest of the clothes back, got into appropriate clothes for the afternoon myself, then moved the selected items to Heather’s bed. I gathered a couple of pieces of fruit, a bag of trail mix, and water bottles from the kitchen, making small talk with Donna for a minute. Then I walked to the sitting room, startling Heather out of her trance.

“Get dressed,” I said. “We’re going out.”

Heather jumped. “Yes, sir,” she said. Part of it was her desire to get out—after being stuck in this maze, she felt understandably stir crazy—but the other part was her thirst to obey.Yes, sir.We weren’t in the dungeon. We were in the open.

“You don’t have to call me that unless we’re training,” I said, for the third time. It was a test. Was she saying it of her own volition?

“I like calling you Sir,” she said.

My cock tightened. Fuck.

Two hours in a car. This was about giving her a break. Giving her some form of relaxation before burying her in a cave of isolation and pain. I forced myself not to think about it.

I waited for her near the end of the hallway. She followed me to the garage. I held the door open, seating her in the front passenger seat of my luxury SUV.

“Two-hour drive,” I said, backing out of the driveway.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

I didn’t answer.

When we reached our destination, green and gray limestone and red rock hills stretched across the terrain, the sun hitting them so that it looked as if the entire world was glowing.

“Valley of Fire?” she said. We hadn’t passed the entrance sign yet, but her eyes were wide. “Are you serious?”

Her digital footprint said she had never been.

“So you know the place,” I said. I knew she did.

“It’s one of the reasons I was completely fine with Hazel moving to Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston,theValley of Fire?”

“Grand Canyon is nearby as well,” I said.