Family Issues Ch. 07

"Ha!"

"I feel that I...I mean we, can gain a lot more from that sort of relationship if—"

"We? There is a we?"

"I thought that—"

"What's the story with the little guy?"

Sin stared at the phone. "Story?"

"Marianne came to me two months ago. She said something about how she's very interested in entertaining him after we're done. As if he's some sort of a prize."

Sin thought of Kevin in bed with the sadistic analyst. It made her blood boil. "That warthog better keep her claws off Kevin."

"Ha! Nadine has a huge soft spot for him. Now you. Does he have a magical ass?"

"I think...Kevin is special."

"Hmph."

"And I sincerely believe that—"

"Listen, and listen well, you failed abortion freak." Suzan didn't raise her voice or change her tone, but Sin shivered nonetheless. "I don't give a rat's ass about the perverted games you and your deviant friends play. Tie people up, spank them. Let them lick your boots until their tongues fall off. Maybe in your demented little fantasy world, there are submissive slaves, and you are their mistress, but back here on planet Earth the only reason you're still not in jail is me. I want to send a message to that uppity bitch, and I want it sent an hour ago!"

"Suzan, I—"

"Say one more fucking word, and I'm sending Olga. Would you like that?"

"That won't be necessary."

-

On the bed, Kevin stared at the bed's canopy. Chains were hanging down from the frame, and they swayed a little in the breeze coming from the ocean-side window, like cenobyte wind chimes. Near the bed, there was a vanity mirror, just in case its occupants were narcissists. Kevin shuddered when he saw his image staring back at him wearing a dog collar.

I look like a fucking chihuahua who just joined a Satanist cult.

What the hell am I doing here?

His phone rang from somewhere on the floor, a song by the White Stripes. He smiled because Helen had picked it, and it was the funniest song, one that no one would expect to hear in Sin's dungeon.

Fall is here, hear the yell

Back to school, ring the bell

Brand new shoes, walking blues

Climb the fence, books and pens

I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

He found his mobile on the floor with his discarded angel tunic.

"Hey, Valkyrie."

"Hey, Kev, when are you coming home?"

He wished she could just beam him up to the Brions' penthouse. Her throaty voice was like the feeling you get when you've been on a trip for weeks, and suddenly you see your house coming around the bend. "Dunno when I'm coming home. Diana took us to this party. It's a bit of a long ride."

"You guys are living the dream. I envy you. Well, not because you're at a party, because envy is something I can do from my bed."

Kevin laughed. "Yeah, a party like I'm at right now I wouldn't wish on my biggest enemy."

"What enemies do you have exactly? You're a ninja turtle?"

"Still, it's a crappy party."

"At least you're at a party. My achievement this evening was that I managed to clean a hair from the bathroom sink only by spitting on it."

"TMI, Helen."

"And I took to heart what you so delicately said about me wearing ugly suits to the office. Long story short, a guy whistled at me in the parking lot."

"Awesome."

"Well, a guy whistling at a girl on the street is like saying, 'Hey, you don't know me, but I have this urge to point out that I'm an idiot.' But still. Good tip on the suits. Ooh, and the Pizza Hut guy asked me on the phone if I have a boyfriend. I mean, feels like I've conquered a new peak. Right?"

"Pizza?"

"Yeah, I wish there was a delivery service that also decided what you should eat. Would have made my life easier."

"No, Helen, I meant that I left you Boudin sausage in the fridge."

"Fuck! Should have checked. It's the end of the day, and my brain is on shuffle mode."

Kevin laughed. She was insanely sane and sweet, nothing like this place with all these people who treated others like they were property. He ached to be with her right now instead of in this bed, cheating on Diana. His dad once told him that cheaters have a special place in hell.

"Kev, you still there?"

"Am I a bad person, Helen?"

"What? No! What happened?"

"I'm too embarrassed to say."

"What? Is everything okay between you and my sister? Did she hurt you again? I swear I'll kill her this time."

"She didn't do anything bad. It's me."

"That's very unlikely."

Kevin wiped a tear, then unclasped the collar and tossed it on the floor. "I know that if my mom could see me right now, she would be disgusted. I feel...I feel like I'm going down this dark tunnel, and I don't see where the tunnel ends."

"Where the hell are you? I'm coming right now to get you."

"No, I'm coming home myself. Diana can stay in this stupid place if she likes to."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being so Helen."

She laughed, but it came out stressed. "Drive safely."

He went down on all fours to pick up the pieces of his costume and spotted Sin's boots moving menacingly at the corner of his eye. He looked up. "Hi, again, I was just—"

"Did I give you permission to take my collar off?" The knuckles of Sin's fingers around her riding crop were white.

"I thought we were done."

"We're done when I say so."

"Oh, I see you're still in role."

"Up." She offered him her hand. Kevin reached for her and felt something closing on his wrist, then heard the clicks.

"Hey."

"Cheeky pets deserve punishment." She closed the Hello Kitty handcuffs on his other wrist and attached the chain to a hook and a rope. She then pulled him to his feet.

"Hey, not funny." Kevin pulled back. He wasn't weak despite his slim form. Sin had to struggle. She attached the rope to an iron loop in the ceiling and pulled hard. He pulled back, and the cable escaped her grip. Kevin pulled again, but she was bigger, and stronger. She grabbed the rope and used gravity and her body.

Kevin found himself naked, standing on his tiptoes, his handcuffed hands high in the air, attached to a loop in the ceiling.

"Hey, not funny! It hurts!"

"Sorry."

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

"That doesn't work here."

"Li! Sue! Zing! Give me a hint about your real name."

"A bit racist throwing a few syllables and thinking they qualify as a name. I'm not Chinese, by the way."

She circled him, and Kevin panicked. "Sin, Stop! Let me down!"

"I'm sorry, honey, believe me when I say that I have to do this."

"I fucking don't!"

"Close your eyes and breathe. This will end in no time. I promise. It's not a big deal. You might find that you like it."

"Stop!" The nails of his right foot dug into his left foot.

The crop swished as it came down. It kissed Kevin's skin, like a dragon breathing fire directly on his buttock and thigh. He saw the black tip rise, leaving an angry red stripe.

The crop rose again, and Kevin screamed.

To be continued...

Yet again we find ourselves at the end of another chapter. As I always do, I would like to ask you shamelessly (okay I'm blushing a bit) to punch the stars to show me you care, and maybe even leave me a note.

See you next chapter, it's ¾ done, so I'm expecting sooner than later.