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M y heart is pounding as we walk into the surprisingly crowded pub. The chatter and laughter oddly ease my nerves—at least I’m not alone with Joel just yet. I need some liquid courage before I can handle his undivided attention.

I settle into a booth and take a deep breath, comforted by the warm glow of the string-lights overhead, while Joel makes his way to the bar. Moments later, Joel emerges from the horde of people trying to get the bartender’s attention with a triumphant smirk.

Joel places two glasses of amber liquid on the table, the ice clinking musically against the glass.

“Thank you,” I smile and he dips his head in response.

The aroma of aged whiskey fills the air, mingling with the intoxicating cologne Joel is wearing.

Rich leather and hints of peppermint—a scent that could bring me to my knees.

I watch as Joel slides into his seat, his presence a blend of confidence and mystery that sends waves of anticipation through my veins.

“Cheers,” he says with a playful gleam in his eye, raising his glass for a toast. I follow suit, our glasses clinking together. The liquid courage flows through me like a burning tide, easing my earlier jitters and replacing them with a newfound sense of excitement.

The pub comes alive with a symphony of conversations, each one weaving into the tapestry of sound that engulfs us. Laughter from a nearby group of patrons infuses the air with infectious joy, while a soft murmur of hushed whispers tickles the edges of my consciousness.

I steal a glance at Joel and his gaze locks on me—intense yet gentle. His eyes hold a promise of adventure, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. “So, what did Alex tell you about me? What made you ask me out?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the rapid beating of my heart.

He smirks, a devilish twinkle in his eye while holding his drink in front of his curved lips.

I can’t help but drop my gaze to his mouth and swallow around the sudden lump in my throat.

“She said we’ll make a good match, but I have to say…

curiosity is what made me text you,” he replies cryptically, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before taking another sip.

As Joel’s words hang in the air, a shiver ripples down my spine. I lean closer, my voice barely above a whisper. “Curiosity about what, exactly?”

A rare glimpse of Joel’s dimples accompanies a playful grin. “Well,” he begins, drawing out the word as if savoring its taste, “curiosity about the woman who hides behind that captivating smile and those eyes filled with unspoken adventurous stories.”

My cheeks flush. Joel’s words weave a magnetic thread between us, drawing me irresistibly closer to him. I take a sip of my whiskey, feeling its warmth spread through every fiber of my being.

Molly, keep it together.

Instinctively I press my thighs together as his words coil around the rapid beating of my heart and slither down to my core like a dangerous snake whispering lustful promises.

The pub becomes a distant blur as our conversation takes on a life of its own. Words spill effortlessly from our lips, entangled in a web of shared laughter and mostly unspoken desires. I mean, there are things you just don’t admit on a first date.

Joel’s voice carries an alluring cadence, like music drifting from a faraway realm. He tells me about his love for adventure—the way he yearns to explore untouched landscapes and discover hidden treasures. His words fuel my longing for adventure, igniting a spark deep within me.

Every second in Joel’s company is electric.

Our bond strengthens with each laugh, and especially our passionate debate about Star Wars versus Star Trek.

He gets me. We can talk for hours about our love of the outdoors, debating the best hiking trails near town, the classics like The Breakfast Club, and singing along to cheesy 80s soundtracks.

Tonight is better than I could have imagined. I seriously need to make Alex’s experience as good as mine. This is fucking perfection—so far.

We chat about everything and nothing, from our favorite toppings on pizza— we both love pineapple— to our usual coffee orders at Starbucks. The hours fly by in a blur of good food, easy rapport, and plenty of 80s references that no one else in this place understands. But we get each other.

I never want this night to end.

Friday, 7:18 PM

Kieran and I hook Alex’s car to the SUV after we secure her safely on our back seat before driving to our building. I carefully maneuver through the dark streets as the relentless rain obscures our surroundings. The building looms ahead, its run-down facade blends into the chaos of the storm.

I pull around the building to the back and pull Alex’s car into the garage, making sure it’s secure and out of sight.

Kieran and I hop out of the vehicle once the rusted metal door lowers to a close. “I’ll get the door,” Kieran says as I move to pick Alex up off the backseat before we head inside.

Her dress clings to her, accentuating her delicious curves. I have to stop myself from ripping it off her body as I hold her in my arms.

Kieran walks ahead and opens the basement door, holding it as I enter with our gorgeous guest . Once the three of us are downstairs, Kieran starts with the video equipment, making sure it is set up and ready, while I secure our latest plaything.

I can hear her whimpering softly and breathing heavily as she slumps against the wall when I put her down. Her head lolls as I tie her feet and secure her hands behind her back with my rope, and my cock grows hard as I weave intricate knots, feeling her soft skin under my fingertips.

The faint echo of her screams from earlier still resonates in my mind. “Better work fast,” I mutter. “She should wake up soon.”

“I think that’s enough, Fin. She’s not going anywhere,” Kieran muses as he steps closer to get a better look at her.

The storm rages outside, casting ominous shadows through the small, tarnished windows of the basement.

The two of us stand side by side, taking a moment to appreciate the sight before us.

“Pretty, isn’t she?” I whisper, afraid that my usual register might wake her sooner than expected. I let my fingers brush against his hand, taking advantage of our proximity.

“That is an understatement,” he remarks, remaining unmoving for a moment before turning on his heel with a sigh and starts toward the stairs.

What’s up with him?

The cold concrete floor and distant echoes of the wind and rain serves as the perfect eerie backdrop for the twisted game we are going to play.

I finish setting up the room, keeping a close eye on Alex. I don’t want her to wake up while I’m down here without my mask.

I am deep in thought as I ascend the stairs, locking the door behind me when I reach the ground floor. I am still surprised some woman, Molly Bensen, I believe, emailed us via our website.

At first, I didn’t buy the whole “asking for a friend” spiel she gave us in her message, but I stand corrected.

She filled out the forms and gave us everything we need on Alex Peterson along with written consent, on her behalf, of course.

We planned everything a few days ago and the anticipation has been delicious.

Tonight, we will bring her twisted fantasy to life and make some memorable content.

I notice Kieran’s gaze burning into the side of my face, stealing my attention away from the screen and unconscious, sexy little thing bound in the corner. “What?” I turn and flick my eyes to meet his. “You like her too?” he questions.

His question catches me off guard, eliciting a low chuckle from deep within my chest. I glance at the screen again before returning his gaze with a curious smirk. “Does that bother you, brother?” I taunt, my voice thick with amusement. “Are you getting possessive already?”

Kieran’s expression shifts, a mixture of curiosity and determination dancing across his face. “Not necessarily… Just observing.” He pauses, as if savoring the intrigue that lingers in the air.

I decide to indulge him, allowing a hint of playfulness to seep into my words. “You want to play around before making the content?”

His brow furrows as he tries to make sense of my enigmatic statement. With a slight tilt of his head and a smirk ghosting his lips, he gestures for me to elaborate further.

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, I oblige.

“We wait for her to wake up and make her feel safe, as if this is the fantasy kidnapping her friend tried to arrange through our website. In her mind, we’re just actors her friend hired to play the part in her fantasy.

We can film everything while we fuck with her, like cats playing with a wounded bird before the big finale. ”

Kieran’s interest piques and he steps closer to me, eager to grasp the depth behind my words. Alex stirs in the corner, and I lower my voice conspiratorially and lean in.

“You see, we’ll feed her false hope, make her feel like she’s living out her fantasy.

Then, we’ll introduce some terror and make her think she has a chance to escape.

We should make her feel like she’s lost time.

Oh, how fun it’ll be to watch the confusion on that pretty face as she tries to piece things together.

It’ll be a fun little game of chase, and while we’re at it, we can document it all.

A pleasant reminder for our personal viewing pleasure. ”

Kieran’s eyes narrow, but I don’t miss the interest burning bright in his gaze. I can tell he is hesitant as he remains silent, mulling it over.

“Sounds like a plan, right?” I say, a sinister smile forming on my lips as I pull my white mask from the bag he dropped near the doorway and toss him the black one.

We got the masks a couple of months ago when we first started working as… "content creators". They have been our signature looks for our videos since the creators must be anonymous. It seemed appropriate, given the names we received years ago. Black and white—Kieran and Fintan.

The folks running the orphanage named us when we were young, abandoned, and forgotten.

We were too young to remember our birth names, so the nuns named us.

Kieran had been there about a year before I got there, according to their stories.

They saw us as opposites but connected. “Kindred souls,” they used to say.

His dark hair and jade green eyes gave Kieran a dark, quiet, and mysterious aura; I, on the other hand, was perceived as "light and curious".

Looking back on their reasoning, I’d say it's pretty funny, given how we turned out.

In those early days, we roamed the halls of the orphanage like ghosts, moving quietly amongst the whispers of the staff.

We knew nothing about our families or where we came from, just bits and pieces of memories that didn’t make sense.

But Kieran and I found comfort in each other’s company, creating adventures in our imaginations to escape our lonely and fucked up reality.

They treated us like dogs from day one and after years of abuse, we decided to stick together—even after we turned eighteen and were allowed to leave that prison of young, lost and abandoned souls like us. We are not related but Kieran became my brother in that hell.

Sometimes, I find myself wondering about the past and where we came from but from the hushed conversations we overheard whenever the staff checked in on us; I decided to keep the past where it belongs rather than knowing what happened to us at such a young age.

Dismissing the unpleasant thoughts from the past, we put on our masks and I head down to the basement.

Kieran remains upstairs to check the camera angles once more, and as soon as I enter the cold, dark room, I move into the shadows just as Alex stirs again.

She groans and I can hear her shift on the floor.

Good, she’s waking up. It’s playtime!