‘Why are you keeping me waiting?’
‘It’s part of the process of domination, Zac,’ I say. ‘And from now on, please do not speak unless you’re asked to, do you understand?’
‘Oh, come on, I’m desperate for you.’
I lean over him, as if to stroke his face, and slap him hard. He cries out, which I enjoy more than the slap.
‘No screaming, either, Zac, except with my express permission.’
‘You hit me!’ he shouts, and pulls hard at his restraints. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘Not a quick learner, are you?’ I say, and slap him even harder.
‘I’ve stopped, I’ve stopped,’ he says.
‘Remember, it’s just a game, Zac. You like games, don’t you? It just that it’s usually you who’s in charge. Now let me lead.’
I take his hand, which is firmly tied to the bedpost, stroke it gently, then isolate his thumb and press it against the fingerprint reader on his laptop.
‘What’s that?’ he says.
‘A little toy,’ I say, as I go into the settings to add my own fingerprint. This requires his thumb one more time to authorize, and after that, I pull his blindfold off.
‘Your laptop doesn’t seem to be encrypted. Therefore, I have some questions about your relationship with a friend of mine called Tor. I want to know if you have a compromising video of her on your laptop. You may speak now but please be brief.’
I watch Zac’s expression. He tugs hard on the ties. His vanity and pride, which give him such an oily veneer, are replaced by a pallid sheen reminiscent of a boy who’s been caught stealing sweets.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know anyone called Tor. You’ve got the wrong person. I’m just here to have fun,’ he says, but his voice has lost its confidence now.
‘Oh, Zac, that’s disappointing. I’ll give you one more chance to be honest.’
He tells another lie.
‘Right, I’m going to boil a kettle now. It’ll give you time to consider telling me the truth.’
I walk to the kitchen. I can hear him struggling. The bed is shaking and the ornaments on the sideboard are rattling. I fill the kettle, stand there waiting for three minutes, pick it up and walk back to see Zac.
I hold the kettle directly over his crotch.
‘No!’ he cries out. ‘No, no, no!’
‘The truth,’ I say.
‘OK, right, OK... We did have a relationship. I met her a few months ago, and I did film her, but she knew all about it. And my computer really was hacked.’
‘I think this is a scam.’
‘It’s the truth,’ he says. ‘I can’t get into any of my files.’
‘Lies, again.’ I stare at him coldly, tip the kettle over his groin and watch him shriek in pain.
Chapter49Video
Back at home in my study, I copy Zac’s considerable backlog of illicit files as Stephen snores loudly from the bedroom. Each video is identified by a set of initials and date. There are over twenty in all, but I quickly find the one labelled with Tor’s initials.
With some trepidation, I watch a little of Tor’s première. It’s not something I want to do, but if it gives me something I can use against Tor in the future, it will be worth the pain.
Although Zac is a complete shit, I admire the way he throws himself so enthusiastically into his work, and Tor is a natural performer. Much more submissive than we’re all used to, and she’s kept herself impressively in shape. There’s an eyebrow-raising moment when she pretends to be a cat, but who doesn’t push one’s boundaries when the opportunity presents itself?
