Cherished (The Manor Series Book 1) Read online

  Copyright © 2018 by Sophia Emerson

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2018

  Cover By: Designrans

  Image Credit: © Can Stock Photo / Bialasiewicz

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Sick. Violently sick. It was the only way she could describe the past three days that she had stayed in bed, feeling like death. Tonight, Violet Elling forced herself out of bed at the urgent phone call from her Master. Her brown hair was plastered to her forehead from the sweat that the fever had induced. She quickly stepped into the shower and got ready. Violet walked slowly into the kitchen, hugging her grandmother from behind. “Work called, I have to go in.”

  “I thought you were driving me and Kim to the doctor appointment over in Aurora?” her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

  At the mention of her disabled aunt she had come to help care for, her stomach knotted. “I'm so sorry, I completely spaced. I'll call work back and let them know I can't come.”

  “Don't do that Vi. You need the money. We will be fine. Go. Have a good night at work.” She leaned over giving Vi a kiss on the cheek and a squeeze around her waist.

  “Thanks Grandma.”

  “Do you think that you’re feeling well enough for work though?” Worried filled her Grandmother’s eyes.

  “I’ll be fine. Like you said, we need the money.” Vi turned, hugging her tightly before she stepped out of their house and slid into her car. She was relieved that she did not have to make the dreadful phone call. Raymond was unusually cruel when he was displeased and her not obeying one of his orders would infuriate him. He always took his anger out on him. She took a deep breath as she turned on her car.

  The drive to Raymond's house took her longer that it normally did with all of the traffic. Her heart was thumping rapidly, her nausea was worsening the longer she sat in her car. Her nerves were almost shot as she finally pulled up to his gated community and punched in the code he had given to her. Checking the clock on her car's dashboard she shuttered as fear started to work its way into her veins as she threw her car into park and ran up the stairs to the door of his house.

  “What took you so long?” Raymond's voice boomed through the halls of the house the moment the door was closed behind her.

  “I apologize Sir. Traffic was awful.” Violet bowed her head as he came over, tensing as he rubbed her shoulders.

  “I made you dinner. Sit.”

  The surprise of dinner caught her off guard. “Thank you, Sir.” She watched him as she saw the sweet man that she had first met. She sat down at the table as he placed a plate in front of her. Her stomach tightened as she fought the urge to be sick at the mere smell of the food. She hated being sick and she was not going to ruin this dinner. This was one of the nicest things that Raymond had ever done for her since he had claimed her at The Manor, seven months ago, where she trained as a Submissive. She smiled as she internally told her stomach to stop and she took a small bite as he watched her. “This is delicious. Thank you again Sir.” He waved a hand dismissing her. They both sat silently eating the food. She sat there trying to figure out what change had happened to make Raymond act the way he was now. Could he finally be pleased with her? Was she finally good enough for him?

  Dinner had been really good, though her nerves were shot since she expected him to go off in an angry rage at any moment. She looked up at him through her lashes, trying to hide the fact she was looking.

  “You have a question?”

  “No Sir.”

  “Do. Not. Lie. To. Me.” He growled each word.

  “Yes, Sir. You sounded angry when you called but not any longer?”

  “I was.”

  “At me Sir?” She bit the inside of her cheek. Worried that his angry would come soon and she would have to hide the pain and bruises from her grandmother and aunt, again.

  “No Violet. Not at you. It is none of your concern. It's been handled.”

  She nodded as she kept her head bowed. “May I go to the restroom Sir?”

  “Yes. Quickly.”

  She nodded as she hurried towards to the bathroom. The moment the door was open she turned on the water and was violently sick. She rested her head on her arm for a moment before she stood up, brushing her teeth, she left quickly. She did not want him to know how sick she was. He believed sickness to be a weakness. He did not tolerate any kind of weakness. She walked back into the kitchen as she saw Raymond leaning against the kitchen counter, the dishes gone from the table. He pushed off the counter and grabbed her tightly. He kissed her hard, grabbing her around the waist pulling her into him farther. He walked her backwards until she hit the kitchen counter without breaking their kiss. He pulled away and turned her quickly, pushing her back down, her head hitting the top cabinets, as she laid her upper body on the marble counter. She felt the roughness of his grip on her arms as he squeezed tighter, the blood stopping. The coldness crept into her body as she clinched her eyes shut. She felt him push her skirt up. She knew the rules, no underwear when she was with him and she followed the rules. He hit her ass, hard. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Any sound and he would keep hitting her until she was quiet. This was the rage that she had become use to expecting from him. She gripped the edge of the counter as he pushed into her anus without lube. He grunted as a small tear escaped her eye as she bit her lip. The pain was always there but no safe word would save her. He was no Dominant, as he claimed. He was an abusive monster who hid his true nature until he owned someone. If The Manor found out the truth of what he truly did, he would lose his elite membership at the BDSM club and even end up in prison if she pressed rape and assault charges. His threats to kill her family and then kill her if she told anyone what happened in the house still rung in her ears and kept her within his grasps. She knew that if she left him he'd kill her. He paid her well to be there, and the money had given her the needs to hire a part-time nurse for her aunt. She stayed quiet to protect her family. They would not survive without her. Her knuckles where white as he pounded into her viciously. The knob from the drawer hitting her in the hip. Pain radiated through all of her. She closed her eyes as she went to the place she always went when she was with Raymond.

  A shrill sound of a cellphone had her opening her eyes quickly. He growled as he pulled out of her, grabbing her arm, gripping it as she felt her blood stopping. “I told you no cellphones.”

  “It's my emergency only phone. I care for my aunt...”

  He threw her harshly to the floor where her purse was sitting. “Answer it.”

  Her shoulder and hip throbbed as she shakily lifted herself off the floor. She pulled the phone out and answered. Seeing the unknown number, dread filled Violet. “Hello,�
� she breathlessly answered. Her nervousness at the man's voice was about to undo Violet. She stood up from the floor, worry flooding her eyes. Her breathing was labored.

  “I'm Doctor Hastine. Your aunt and grandmother were involved in a car crash.” Violet gripped the chair tightly. “We need you to come to the hospital immediately.”

  Violet grabbed her purse, running towards the door. “Yes, doctor I'm on my way. How bad?”

  The pause he gave seemed to last a year “you need to get here fast.” At that, the call was ended as she was in her car and sliding out of the parking space that she frequented. Her hands shaking as she broke the speed limit rushing to get to the local hospital. It was all her fault. She knew that her grandmother should not be driving with how much her eyes had been bothering her the past month, but Violet did not want up deal with an upset Raymond, on top of being sick. Now they were injured and, in the hospital, because she was weak and pathetic. She whipped into the E.R. parking lot. Her car had barely stopped before she jumped out and ran to the sliding door.

  She was a wreck as she busted through the emergency room doors frantically. Her fault. All her fault. She should have driven them.

  “Ma'am are you ok?” The lady at the desk stood quickly. She kept eyeing behind her and Violet looked back and saw Raymond close behind her coming in the door, huffing. The man was intimidating when he was in a good mood and him running after her brought another wave of fear to her.

  “I got a call from Doctor Hastine? I was told Eleanor and Kim Elling were brought here. They were in a c-c-crash.” She stuttered.

  “Ok darling,” her southern charming coming through in a calming manner. “Let me look.” Violet heard the woman's hands flying over her keyboard. “Sarah could you take...”

  “Violet Elling”

  “Violet to room 6.”

  The young nurse nodded as she motioned for Violet to follow her through the glass doors. She froze at the sound of the main nurse’s voice.

  “I'm sorry sir. Only one is allowed back there at a time.”

  Violet was terrified that he would cause a scene and drag her from the building.

  “Go. I'll be in the waiting room when you're ready to leave.” His demeanor calm and a small smile on his face. She knew that was the face he held when she took his collar and chose to trust her. It was the smooth face he used to hide his true, heinous self. Everyone fell for that smile.

  Violet nodded as he sat down, and she followed the woman. She saw her Aunt Kim lying in bed, wires coming out of her everywhere. “Where's my grandmother?”

  “The doctor will be here soon.” The young girl flew from the room. Violet moved to her Aunt side, kissing her forehead. Seeing the bruises and the wires she started to pace the small room as a police officer cleared his voice behind her. She jumped and twirled towards him.

  “Ms. Elling?”

  “Yes officer.” The officer looked her up and down, accessing what was before his eyes before he spoke aloud. She knew that he could see the red puffy eyes from tears she had been shredding when she was with Raymond and she didn't doubt she had bruises from her fall to the floor and hitting her head on the cabinets.

  “You may want to sit down.”

  “I'm fine sir.”

  The officer doubted her words but nodded. “Ma'am I'm sorry to tell you but Mrs. Eleanor Elling was killed instantly in the wreck. I know it isn't much of a comfort, but she did not suffer.” He was quick to add on the last bit as Violet stared at him. Her eyes glazed over as a doctor stepped up behind the officer. All her fault. The thought and her memories plagued her mind.

  “Thank you, officer, for letting me know.” Her voice was lifeless. She refused to show her emotions but inside she was screaming, dying. She had always been good at hiding her emotions and feelings.

  “Ms. Elling? In your Aunt's file you are labeled as the second power of attorney.”

  “Yes.”

  “Kim's condition...”

  “She has Huntington's disease and has a signed DNR on file. She made the choice a while ago.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  “Is she going to be ok?”

  “She's unconscious but stable for the moment. We are running more tests since she can't tell us what hurts.”

  “She wouldn't be able to even if she was awake.” Violet sighed. Both men left the room. She kept pacing, pulling the rubber band out of her hair and slipping it around her wrist. She started snapping it constantly as she paced the small room as if the walls were closing in on her. She had been using the rubber band strategy to bring back control and focus when she was under too much. Too much. All my fault. That was accurate as she felt like she could barely breathe as she watched her Aunt lay silently in the hospital bed. The monitors beeping steadily for the moment.

  Raymond's fist clinched in his lap as he watched Violet pacing the hospital room. He could almost hear the snaps of the band around her wrist. She looked wild every time he saw her turn. His last submissive had gone wild and he had to put her down. He was not going to lose this one too. He saw another doctor walk past the glass windows. He knew that the word was going to get out that Violet was at the hospital and the owner of The Manor would be there shortly. He knew that if he wanted to keep this girl that he would have to do the unthinkable. Picking up his phone he dialed the one number he swore he would never call.

  Doctor Nathaniel Dawkins had just stepped from his latest surgery, glad his shift was about to end. He normally only made house calls lately but the hospital had called him when they were short. He hadn’t worked there until his family passed and he left to run the family business. His phone went off, seeing the name on the screen he answered immediately. “Dawkins.”

  “My subs in the hospital.” Raymond's voice was gruff.

  “What did you do?” Nate's voice was hard, anger rolling through him. His hands were clinched into fists at the news. He had prided himself with keeping everyone safe that was a part of his club, The Manor. He knew that he could not force The Manor rules onto people who played outside his lands, but it did not mean that he liked it.

  “Nothing. Her family was in a crash but... I can see her through the glass. She looks... wild.”

  Wild. Christ. “What hospital?”

  “Grace Memorial. ER room 6.”

  “I'll be right there.”

  Nate closed his phone as he took a deep breath. She was here. She was wild. Wild was never a word that you wanted to hear about a submissive. Wild usually meant that the sub was on the verge of breaking. He punched the number on the elevator as he stepped out into the emergency room. Before he even got there, he saw her pacing, his gut clinched as he saw her. She was snapping the rubber band, hard, against her wrist. Seeing her he started to jog to her. “Violet.”

  She turned at the sound of her name, staring at him. “Nate?” She looked at him from head to toe. Not believing that he was really standing there in front of her. She had only seen him at The Manor. He had prepared her when she had come to find a Dominant and do the special training as a submissive. She had no clue he was a doctor. “Is that really you?”

  He chuckled as he moved forward. She moved back, and he put his hands out to the side, showing he was no threat. “Yes. The scrubs probably throw you off.” He gave a smile. His smile had always been a weak spot for her.

  “Www...Why are you here?” She asked as she looked around. Her eyes wide, checking out each person's face as she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her stomach, as she started pacing again.

  Nate watched her as the color of her skin drained to a ghostly white color. Nate grabbed a chair, grabbing her arms making her sit down. “Violet. Vi, come on, talk to me.” He looked at her eyes and saw the lifelessness within them.

  “Sick. Hurts.” Her lips trembled but she could not stop shaking.

  “What hurts?” He asked as she bent down between her legs, as she rocked in the chair.

  “My stomach.” The heart alarms on her aunt flat-lined as her
aunt's heart failed and Violet fell forward. Nate barely caught her in his surprise.

  “Get a gurney!” Nate commanded as nurses quickly swirled around them as he held the small woman in his grasp. He lifted her with ease as he barked out orders and they moved to another room. He worked quickly as he pushed aside her clothes and a nurse cut them off. Nate almost shook when he saw all the harsh bruises all at various degrees of healing.

  “Get that guy in here!” He nodded to where Raymond was standing at the glass. The moment that Raymond was through the glass doors he was at the foot of Violet's bed. “How long and how bad has she been sick?” Nate looked at him, fury in his eyes.

  “She's been sick?” The confusion in Raymond’s eyes told Nate everything that he needed to know. The bruises on her were not from a wild passionate relationship.

  “That's what she was saying before she passed out.”

  “I didn't... she didn't.”

  “When was the last time she ate?”

  “About an hour ago?”

  “Did she keep it down?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure? Did she leave your sight at all?”

  “She went to the bathroom.” Raymond answered.

  “Fuck.” Nate cursed quietly. “Get me an ultrasound.” The nurse ran quickly from the room. He hooked in some fluids into the I.V. in her arm. The ultrasound was placed on her stomach as he looked for blood. He froze at the sight on the screen. “Call the O.R. we are coming in hot.”

  Violet opened her eyes slowly. She was on her back and she felt like she could not move. She saw Nate standing at the end of the bed, talking to Raymond. Raymond. She tensed as she saw him. The heart monitor gave her away as it started to race.

  “What happened?” She croaked as loud as she could, but it felt like her mouth was filled with cotton.

  Nate quickly came to her side. “Shh, calm down little one. You are safe. You passed out. We did emergency surgery to stop some of the bleeding, but we need to do another operation if you consent.”