Page 289 of Coal Hearts

Peter bowed his head. “Yes, Sir V.”

Taking the lead, Victor splayed his arms, encompassing the line-up of thirty jewels. “You all looked so cosy this morning, cuddled happily against each other. Why are you so far apart now?”

The jewels all flicked each other a worried glance before ducking their chins and inching closer, thighs to thighs, hips to hips. When no space existed, Victor sighed as if they’d disappointed him. “Hold hands, my sweetlings. There you go.”

In a blur of obedient motion, each slave clasped the hand of their neighbour, creating a damn daisy chain of half-naked, fully-bare humans. Bruises glowed on some, cuts on others, Ily seemed to shimmer the brightest as she tipped up her nose and clasped the hand of the girl on her left and Peter’s on her right.

Her eyes dared me to punish her.

My thumb hovered over the remote.

The jewels waited.

Silent and dull, broken into submission from so many mornings like this. So many days of unavoidable pain and constant agony.

My heart stirred.

Of course, it did.

I was a monster, not heartless.

To have their freedom stripped away. Their dignity bought. Their bodies rented to the highest bidder must be hell on fucking earth.

But...like Victor said: without predators, prey ran amok. I’d merely stepped over that dividing line and became the one who preyed instead of got preyed on.

I stepped forward. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I take no pleasure in punishing you in this way, but it’s necessary and it’ll be over soon.”

Ily caught my stare.

Her face filled with loathing.

I aimed at Peter and pressed the button.

He jerked instantly.

His hands clamped down on those he held, feeding the current all the way along the line.

I’d expected it to feather out like a wave. Oh no. It bolted through every bone and nervous system connected to Peter’s in a single, savage moment.

I didn’t count the passing seconds.

The ability to use numbers and words escaped me as I locked my gaze on Ily and watched her entire body ripple with electricity.

The eeriest thing was the silence.

Guests muttered and chuckled behind me, but not a single slave screamed.

I didn’t think they could with a million forks of lightning firing through their system.

“Enough, Mercer. Enough.”

Victor’s curt command brought me back, and I released the button.

The eerie silence became gasps for breath and guttural groans for mercy. One by one, the jewels let go of one another, shuffled to make space, then hugged themselves as residual jerks worked through their frames.

“Corine, I’m well overdue my morning massage,” a guest behind me barked. “Hurry now.”

With a weary sigh and tears in her eyes, the girl who’d been fucked by Peter last night clambered to her feet and went tripping up the deck. She dropped to her knees beside a toned gentleman with dark brown hair.