Cherished (The Manor Series Book 1) Read online

  “Ok.”

  “You need to know the risks.”

  Violet moved her hand towards Nate, but Nate grasped it first. “Sir, I trust you... just...” Violet bite her lip hard trying to stay awake and alert. “No tubes in my throat while I'm awake. Nothing restraining my neck either.”

  Nate remembered her fear and hard limits that she had written down on the paperwork “Ok. Sign here.” Nate agreed as he held out the papers on top of the file, so she could sign without getting up.

  She signed but then flipped the paper acting like she was signing again but she quickly scrawled. “No Raymond!”

  He took the papers, checking the signatures quickly and stuffed them into the file. “Let's get you prepped.”

  Violet gave a shaky laugh and smile at the memory of the last time he had said those words. “I think this time, it might not be so pleasant.” Nate couldn't help but chuckle as he unlocked the bed and pushed her down the hall. Once they were alone in the elevator he turned serious and spoke. “Why no Raymond?”

  “Please Sir, no questions. I don't want to be near him, ever again.” Violet shuttered, thinking about having to be near him again. Her family was gone and now she was free of his grasp. She knew that she'd have to run soon before he kept his promise and killed her but at least her family was free from him.

  Nate saw the fear flickering in waves in her eyes. He gave a curt nod. “I will make it happen. Don't worry you will get through this.” He nodded to the surgery nurses as they took her, and he went to scrub in. Forget being off for the night. There was no way he would let some other doctor operate on her. The moment that she had walked into The Manor as a trainee, she had floored him with a possessive need to protect her. He had not felt that protectiveness since he had lost his entire family. For days while she trained, he had kept a close eye on her. He wanted to be the one that tucked her into bed after she had been fully and truly fucked. The dreams were intense, and he knew that he could not Dominate her like the other submissive’s he took in. He was a short-term Dominant; he did not do long term or emotions. He knew that many submissive's had nicknamed him “Ice.” Looking out the window to where the nurses and the anesthesiologist was putting her under. When it came to Violet Elling, he was anything but “Ice.” He walked out, and they gloved him up. He looked to the woman he had failed to protect. Instead of claiming her when she was initiated at The Manor he had kept the collar in his pocket and let Raymond Gilliard claim her. Now she laid on his operating table.

  The surgery went off without too many hitches but the damages to her torn and scarred rectum and twisted intestines were almost irreversible. Hearing the nurses curse at the bruises that covered her body, especially when they cleaned an area of her body and realized that she was covered in make-up from head to toe on any area that clothes didn't cover. The moment that he was saw the bruises and after being inside her operating he wanted to leave and kill Raymond. Making himself focus was one of the hardest things he'd done since his baby son was lowered into the tiny grave beside his slave, Angelica. He knew that Violet had a few more surgeries in her future. He had already placed a call to one of his contacts. She was going to get the best care he could get her. She had been abused and there was nothing that he could do about it unless she spoke up, but he swore she would never be hurt again.

  He clocked out and collapsed in the reclining chair next to Violet's bed. Taking her hand in his he kissed the top of it. “I'm so sorry Vi.” He watched her silently lost in his own thoughts.

  Violet's eyes fluttered open as she took in the noises and her surroundings. Hospital. She hated hospitals, feared them. Her heart monitor spiked as she started to hyperventilate.

  “Easy Vi. You're safe. Take a deep breathe little one.” She took in a breath, listening to Nate. He smiled at her immediate response. “Good girl. Now another.” Nate's deep sleep-filled voice sounded from the dark as he leaned forward in the chair. Helping her to calm her fears and breathe correctly again.

  “You're still here Sir?” she asked quietly unable to keep the surprise from her voice.

  “Yes. I know your fear of hospitals and I was not about to let you wake alone.”

  Violet saw something in his eyes. Guilt? Anger? It was just a flash of something and it could have been the shitty lighting in the room, before his face went to stone.

  “Violet I...”

  “You stayed knowing I'd be scared?” She questioned, confusion in her eyes. She did not understand why he would look guilty or angry. Could he be anger with her? Had she been wrong to ask for Raymond to be kept out? Questions flew through her mind quicker than she could process them.

  “I have failed you once. I won't again.” Nate vowed solemnly.

  “You never failed me Sir.” She said adamantly. She did not want Nate thinking anything about failing her. She was the one that had failed everyone; Nate, her Grandmother and Aunt, even her trainer at The Manor.

  “After the first surgery to stop all the bleeding I had them do a full scan. I saw your x-rays. The recently healed fractures and breaks. I repaired your insides that were so abused they were twisted, ruptured, and it almost killed you because I gave you to Raymond. I thought he was a good match.”

  “None of which is your fault. I choose Raymond. That night... I took his collar.” Violet said stubbornly. She picked her chin up, her nose towards the sky, then dropped it in defeat. She didn’t have the energy to be prideful. “Thank you for saving me, Sir.” She said quietly.

  “Sleep. You need to rest. I'll be here when you wake little one.”

  “Sir...”

  “I'm here.” Nate’s weariness was thick in his voice.

  “My bookbag?”

  “It's in the closet.”

  “Can you get it? Since everyone's dead he can't threaten me anymore.” Nate tensed at the quietness of her voice and the shake of fear that rumbled from her. “There's a jump drive in there and my laptop.” Nate pulled out both and walked back over to table and opened the laptop. The screen flicked on and he smiled at the picture of the rolling hills that almost looked like an African landscape. He knew the picture was taken on the property of The Manor. “The jump drive is named 'Classes,' open it, then click the file, 'Management', then 'Club' then 'Inspiration'” she watched as he clicked through the files without questioning her, trusting her. “Sorry I didn't know how else to hide the files.”

  “It's an intriguing way to hide stuff.”

  She tried to smile but knew that she had to get this off her chest before she chickened out. “Then 'videos' all the videos there are of Raymond. Most of the videos I used the safe word he gave me but...” Her voice cracked as Nate looked to her quickly. She refused to cry even though her chin was quivering. She did not want Nate to see the videos, but she knew that he was the only one who could protect her if she had a chance at all. Nate double clicked, “Please Sir.” Panic filled Violet’s voice, “my headphones are in my bag. I... I can't listen to it.” He nodded.

  “Sorry darlin'” he smiled as he turned. The smile didn't reach his eyes. He had a fear of what he was about to see on the screen. He grabbed the headphones and plugged them in. He started the first video as his back went rigid straight. He went through several of them. Each video infuriating him so much that he was afraid that he would not be able to stop himself from hurting Raymond. Raymond had come into The Manor as a Dominant; he had passed all of the hoops he had everyone jump through to make sure that everyone involved was protected. He noticed the scroll box even though the videos did not fill the whole screen. He scrolled down and saw another folder.

  He looked up and saw Violet watching him. “What is the 'do not view' folder?” He hated that he asked after he watched her lip quiver, harder.

  “I used The Manor's safe words, my own safe word, and his safe words. Nothing stopped him.” She trembled, “You saw the x-rays.”

  “You filmed it? All of it?”

  “I got a small camera and kept it put in my purse. I record
ed every time that I went over there after he threatened my family. I never knew what I would get but if I was killed I wanted them to know it wasn't an accident.” She whimpered. “I think he killed his last girl.” He could see her fear in her eyes.

  “He will never touch you again. I'm sorry but I need to see this. If you're using your words...”

  “Then he's broken The Manor’s number one rule...”

  “It's rape.” Nate said harshly. She knew the whole time it was rape because she'd used the words so many times, but she could take it if it kept her family safe. Dominant and submission is all about safe, sane, and consensual sex; none of what she did with Raymond was ever consensual. Now she was an orphan and had no one that she had to worry about. She nodded as he gripped her hand that was beside him. He wanted to provide her a little support and strength through this.

  He slipped the headphones back on and started the video. The whole scene was open. She had put her purse on the dresser and the whole room was in view. He watched as the man beat her constantly without any kind of passion that a true Dominant did for their submissive. Nate saw red as he listened to her screaming the words that The Manor had set up and the additional words that Raymond had given to her along with the normal 'stop' and 'no'. He paled when he heard the crack. Her ribs had broken. He stopped the video he could not watch another moment as he stood there. “May I send...”

  “Nate, Sir, do what you want with the videos? I don't want to worry about them another second. I don't want to see them... I want them off there.” She pointed towards her laptop and jump drive. “Please Sir.”

  “I'll make that happen right now. I will take care of everything little one.” She barely nodded. There was no way to hide the intense feelings that was flowing through every fiber of his body.

  Violet watched him as he typed furiously on the keyboard of her laptop. She knew he was angry and for the first time in so long that someone's anger was not aimed at her. She closed her eyes. She felt lighter knowing that she did not have to hide that secret any longer; that someone else had taken them and making them go away. With her eyes closed, her mind started working in overdrive of all of the stuff that she had to do and realized that she no longer would have the money from Raymond coming in and there was no way that she could afford the bills that her grandmother's house cost. She would have to clean the house out and sell it. She would not have a place to live and she wasn't sure that a part-time 'do you want fries with that' job would allow her to rent an apartment. Plus, she'd have all the hospital bills and the funeral expenses. She knew that she was going to be back to living in her car again like she did for a little bit while she was in college.

  “Violet. Stop it.” Nate's Dominant voice was full of command. She opened her eyes quickly. “Your heart is spiking. Clear your mind little one, rest.” He gently sat down on the bed near her waist and pushed her hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and let her face fall towards his hand, enjoying the feeling as his thumb brushed her cheek. She focused on the feeling of his touch, finally felt safe, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

  Nate watched her sleep as he picked up his cellphone and made a conference call. He was going to handle this issue immediately. He had already had Raymond blocked from the hospital the moment that he opened her up and saw the damage. Now he was going to make sure that not only she was fully protected but all the submissive's in the future would be protected.

  “We need a video conference call.” He listened to the voices. “6 am. It's urgent. I emailed a picture to you all. He is to touch no one. You all will be briefed in the meeting.” He ended the call and then scrolled through his contact. Sylvia. He pressed send as he heard a sleepy hello come through his line. “Hey S.” He said exhaustedly. “I need a favor.”

  “Ooh the mighty Dawkins needs a favor?” Sylvia’s velvety voice teased.

  “Give me a break tonight S.” The tiredness was clear in his voice.

  “You know I'd do anything for you Boss. What's wrong?”

  “Violet...”

  “Wait, Violet as in, The Violet? Did she finally leave Raymond?”

  “She's in the hospital.”

  “What?” He could tell that Sylvia was fully awake with the announcement. He could hear her moving around in the background. “What did that bastard do?”

  “It's bad. I need to do a conference call, but I can't leave her unprotected, alone.”

  “You thought of me?”

  “S, I do not want her waking up to some other guy in the room. I want to make sure she feels comfortable. She's been through enough.”

  “Grace Memorial?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I'm on my way.” She paused as she started her car. “Nate, how bad is it?”

  “She has videos.” Nate sighed, “A lot of videos. Enough to prove that Raymond was no Dominant, but a sadistic monster that fooled us all.”

  “Why didn't she tell you sooner, or me?”

  “He threatened her whole family if she told anyone or left him. Her family died tonight in a car crash. She came clean.”

  “God, the poor girl.”

  “She's no poor girl. Damn it. She's a fighter. I never would have pegged her for it either.”

  “I'm pulling into the ER now.”

  “She's upstairs in the ICU room 8105. I have you on the clearance list. I have a guard on the door.”

  “Does she know?”

  “She hasn't been that aware. I told her I would keep her safe and... she trusts that.”

  “Of course, she does. See you in a few. I want to see those videos.” Sylvia demanded as she ended the call and walked into the hospital, flashing her badge.

  Sylvia was one of the Dominants and a trainer at The Manor. She was also the Director of the FBI and she never took no for an answer. She was one of the few people that he allowed to get under his skin and get close to him. He trusted her, and he needed the people around him before he did something stupid like fall in love again. He took a breath as he looked at the bed where Violet was laying. Love. Hell, he had fallen for her the moment that she had walked into the room and he had interviewed her. Sylvia stood in the doorway looking at him and then looked over at Violet. He had asked Sylvia to be Violet's submissive trainer and knew that they had built a bond between them. He had not wanted one of the male trainers to be with her. He hated seeing someone else touch her, but he knew that he could not fall prey to love again.

  Different emotions played over Sylvia's face as she looked at the young woman lying there. Nate held out the headphones. “You won't need to see more than this one video. Fuck, you won't have to see more than two minutes of this video. Shit, I barely was able to finish it.” Nate hated the truth in his voice and he had already lost his patience. He wanted Raymond behind bars and Violet completely safe and sheltered.

  Sylvia stepped up took one of the headphones as she hit the play button. Her fists clinched as she took her eyes off the screen and looked over to Violet and put a hand on Nate's arm. She knew how hard all of this was on him without even looking and seeing the pain in his eyes. She knew the reasons that he had asked her to take her on as a submissive. She knew how much he already cared for the woman. Hearing the break of a rib she looked back at the screen. “Fuck. Nate.” She looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to Violet screaming for help. Begging and pleading filled Sylvia's ears, she ripped off the headphones and muted the computer. “How did you finish this? What happens at the end?” Nate looked at her, pain filling his eyes.

  “Minute by minute.” Pushing his hand through his hair. “The pain becomes unbearable as he breaks her arm and collarbone; she passes out. The whip also flayed open her back several times. She lost enough blood that if she was in the hospital I would have given her a bag of blood.”

  “She endured this to protect her family.”

  “Yes.”

  “What about her safety now? I can get her into a safe house with the F.B.I. easily.”

  �
�She still has a couple more surgeries to undergo. After those I'm taking her to The Manor. She doesn't have a say until I know that he's in prison or dead. I don't care which at this moment.”

  “I'll help you hide the body.” An evil smirk filled Sylvia's face. She may be the Director of the F.B.I. but that did not stop her from wanting to protect those that she cared about. Violet had wormed her way into Sylvia's heart as well. “I have talked to her each week, sometimes a few times a week but I never suspected the amount of pain that she must have been in.”

  “I know. I had some others checking on her for me. I knew she was with Raymond, but I wanted to make sure she was happy. No one ever suspected. She fooled us all.”

  “To keep herself safe. We taught her all we could. Remember Nate, she came clean with you when it was safe.”

  “Such a brave girl.” Nate breathed as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Violet felt someone moving around the room quietly. She opened her eyes and smiled as she saw Sylvia, Lady S, her trainer from The Manor. Sylvia's long black hair hung around her shoulders. The t-shirt and jeans looked strange on the woman that Violet was used to seeing in a suit or in black and hunter green leather.

  “Good morning Mistress.”

  “It's just Sylvia.” Her smile on her face was true but grim. Sylvia watched Violet look around the room. “He had a conference call, to handle the situation. He didn't want you alone and thought I would make it less uncomfortable.”

  “I'm sorry.” Violet said quietly.

  “Why?” Sylvia's shock was in her voice as she looked at Violet. Taking her hand, gripping it tightly.

  “You trained me better than this.”

  “You think that I am mad that you are in the hospital?” Sylvia chuckled.

  “Aren't you? I mean you taught me to speak up...”

  Sylvia stood up and leaned down to the bed, almost in Violet's face. “You are one of the strongest women I know. He hurt you and did you break? No! You kept yourself and your family safe. You trusted Nate. You did speak up; when it was safe to do so.”