“Your death will come when I say. Maybe sooner than you think. Maybe years from now. You’re the worst fucking slave I’ve ever had. You don’t listen for shit. Why should I give you what you want? You deserve nothing. What gives you the right for a sense of entitlement? Nothing,” I exploded. 

“You’re already dead, remember? I fucking killed you when you walked through my door. What you suffered with your family is great, but not more than others have had to endure. I meant to show you that, but you’ve ruined it.”

A sob broke through, a scream taking over it at the end. Her head shook back and forth and I grabbed it, holding her still to look up at me.

“You want to be free, then become my slave for real. Bend to my every command. Address me as you’re meant to.” I licked over her bottom lip and she trembled underneath me. “You bow to me and I will grant your wish.”

“I hate you,” she gritted out. “I hate you!”

A laugh did come then. “I didn’t expect you to make it easy, but if you want death, you’ll endure the perils of hell first. The only way to experience the true meaning of that is to survive what I have in store. The real me. The one you’ve only caught glimpses of. And not just sexually, either. It’s that, or you can rot away in this room until you die of old age. No one will look for you, Diane. As far as anyone is concerned, you either ran away or offed yourself where no one could find you. They already expect it. They’ll never know to look here. If Jaime comes to your pretty little mind and you think him picking you up will lead police to where you are, you’re wasting your time. He dropped you off at your new safehouse. Doreen will testify to you showing up. But then, you left.”

She jerked.

“You left and disappeared, slave. You’re dead,” I whispered. “Just like you wanted to be.”

“I want you dead. I’ll kill you,” she exploded. “I’ll fucking—”

“You’ll what?” My fingers pushed in harder until she was crying out. “You’ll obey is what you’ll do. Now, say it. Say I’m your Master.”

A long, heartbreaking sound had the crying coming back.

“Speak.” My hand slapped her face — not hard enough to hurt her, but definitely enough to bring her back around.

“Never. Fucking, never.”

I ripped her from the bed, wrapping my arm around her throat as I let her toes search the ground for footing. I knew I was choking her, but she could still get air. Nails tore into my arm as I walked over and grabbed the remote. As I hit the buttons, changing the disc, Diane began to still in my arms. I knew she thought I was putting on more grisly suicides, but she was wrong. So fucking wrong.

Laughter filled the room, the sweet sound of a child. Her child. Weight pulled against my arm as her legs temporarily gave out. Like someone had hooked her to life support, she turned into a mad woman, giving me the fight of my life as she tried to flee.

“Mommy! Look!” Dark curls bounced as Caylee ran closer to the handheld camera, holding up a new doll. Wrapping paper was everywhere on the floor and the blue, red, green, and white lights from the tree blurred in the background.

“Look at that, Caylee.” Diane walked onto the screen and a man laughed. The voice was close and it was evident he was the one holding the camera.

“No more,” she said, slowing. Sobs were shaking her so hard that I felt them deep within my soul. Fingers pushed into my bloody skin, holding on for dear life. The pain I had felt only moments ago was nonexistent as I watched her heart break right in front of me.

My grip loosened as I pushed her to her knees and positioned myself behind her, still keeping my arm around her throat, just in case.

“Kneeling is crucial. I expect you to do this for me. Now, embrace your memories, slave. That’s your daughter. You turning your back on her is the worst thing you can do. Face your fears,” I said, turning my voice into a whisperer. “Look at how beautiful she is.”

Weight rested into me as she continued to hold on and watch. The fight in her was gone as she stared at the TV, crying. The contrast of the laughter and sobs broke through my walls and I made my other arm wrap around her stomach as I pulled her closer between my thighs. To have seen her, to have known her in her happy past, to have had something like that for myself…