“Good.” She turns to the door, walking on her tiptoes with her hands behind her back like a disciplined ballerina. “You will get your glass of water for supper, then I will see you and your husband first thing in the morning for dual treatments.”
I unclench my fists and rest my head back on the bed as the door scrapes open.
Meridei pauses at the threshold.
“I do hope it’s not awkward for the three of us tomorrow.”
One orderly escorts me toa treatment room with a circuit board and two white reclining chairs I’ve only ever sat in for a dental checkup.
Meridei stands behind the circuit board, examining her cuticles as I’m seated, strapped in, and told to wait.
Nerves whoosh in out of my lungs, though I refuse to let her see it, so I keep my bored gaze trained on the white shoes of my orderly stationed at the door. The only thing that breaks my trance is watchingthreeorderlies escort Niklaus into this room.
His walk is confident and unbothered. Why? Probably because he just got his cock sucked. While I’m digesting laxatives, he’s probably getting his choice of which conformists he gets to bury his dick into.
Bare feet stand next to the shoes I’m choosing to focus on. I won’t look up. I swear to God, I won’t lock eyes with him.
“How terribly uncomfortable.” Meridei pats the top of my head. “We’re all in the same room together after last night.”
Niklaus laughs, but the sound is unnerving. It has a sharp edge to it that is unexpected. Somewhat cruel. Somewhat angry.
“Here.” My orderly holds a glass out to me. Three raw eggs swirl in a slimy puddle.Awe, and here I thought I wasn’t getting breakfast today.
“I think I’ll skip it,” I say.
I have a twisty feeling inside that this treatment is going to upset my stomach. And it’s already seriously unhappy with me after yesterday. After the ninety-seven trips to the toilet.
“Drink it!” Meridei orders with a little less patience she’s had yesterday.
My eyes flash up to Niklaus, watching me in his white uniform and dark hair hanging in his face. Those hardened deep blue eyes have lost their usual unamused look. They’re wider. They’re…alarmed.
I gulp down the raw eggs, ignoring the slimy lumps as they pass over my tongue.It’s just raw eggs. It’s just raw eggs.But that convulsing urge to gag is definitely there, however I would rather drop dead then let either of them see it.
Niklaus waits for me to finish. That subtle grimace flashes from existence, and in its place he smirks. “Hello, darling wife.”
I let my eyes roam over his face before redirecting my attention to the orderly.
“Thank you,” I say as he takes the empty glass away.
Niklaus’s orderlies connect his shackles to the reclined chair, ensuring he can’t do anything to break free.
“That’s good. I can strap him in myself,” Meridei commands, heels clacking as she rounds the circuit board to join Niklaus.
The orderlies nod like mindless soldiers, exiting the room to leave the three of us alone. And the silence leads to an image that sneaks past my best mental guard. An image that pierces a hole in the cold, emotionless state I’ve decided to meditate in.
The image of these two together. Her mouth on him. On her knees. Niklaus looking down at her with stormy eyes.
Why would he want her? Knowing everything he knows about her from what we’ve read? Her disturbing proclivity for tormenting her patients? What my mother did to her? What Meridei put my parents through?
I didn’t have much respect for him to begin with, but this tanks whatever remained.
Still, the burn in my chest grows as I watch her touch his chest, tighten the straps over his stomach, and lingering for a moment too long. That uneasiness sends my nerves into a frenzy.
“Is that too tight?” Meridei asks, making circles with her thumb over his wrist.
My stomach falls.
“No.”
