When Lucius regained mobility, he was lying in a puddle of his own shit with a headache bigger than Texas. He groaned, the sound muffled by his sealed lips. He attempted to sit up, but realized his limbs were stuck together. Taking the deepest breaths possible, Lucius calmed himself. When the initial panic subsided, the pain came washing in. He screamed behind the gag.
Alaster watched silently from across the room, sitting on a mattress with Nina's head in his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair, gently stroking the dark strands. Lucius' eyes widened, and he jerked a little. A sadistic thought crossed Alaster's mind. Was that in pain or surprise? Alaster leaned in to whisper in Nina's ear.
"I'm sorry, my love, your wrists must be sore." Alaster brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. She nodded frantically. "Let me."
He leaned over her and unlocked the handcuffs. Her hands whipped around, rubbing her wrists. She reached up and pulled the gag out of her mouth. Alaster's hand covered hers, pressing her hand down.
"Ah ah," he scolded, "that stays in." He pressed the cloth back to her lips, tying it behind her head tighter. "Look here, Lucius." Lucius' eyes went wide as Alaster pulled a knife from a sheath on his thigh. A sadistic smile stretched Lucius' lips.
Lucius squirmed, screaming as loud as he could behind the layers of duct tape. Alaster pulled Nina up by the hair and shoved her towards her father. He slid the knife across the ground and yanked a gun from its holster. He aimed it at Nina. With one hand, he tossed the key to the handcuffs at her feet.
"Cut your father loose, pretty girl," he ordered. "If either of you do anything I don't like, I'm emptying my magazine into Nina's back."
Nina shivered and ran to her father's side, cutting neatly through the layers of tape. Lucius screamed in pain when his shoulder was suddenly freed, wrenching the dislocated joint forward. He focused, eyes squinting in painful concentration, and popped it back in place. This time, the scream wasn't audible, but his mouth gaped in silent pain. As Lucius flopped flat on the ground after being held in such an uncomfortable position, Alaster fired a round into the ceiling. Nina and Lucius both jerked their heads up to face him.
"Slide the knife back and come back to me, Nina."
Nina slid the knife to him and approached slowly. Alaster holstered his sidearm and picked up the knife. He patted his leg, and Nina obediently sat in his lap. She froze when the cold metal of the knife pressed against her throat.
"You-" Lucius cleared his throat, "You think that threatening my daughter will make me any more cooperative?" He laughed, "Do you still misjudge my weakness, Alaster?"
"Do not pretend you do not care," Alaster snapped, "I was there when you fell in love with Mel; I was there when you wept at Nina's birth. I stood in the hallway as you made love to your wife and guarded again while you slept. I guarded Nina's bedside for nights on end. I know you think you have something to prove. I know you feel terrible for doing what you did last night, especially because of Mel."
Lucius sagged, the realization that he could not fool Alaster weighing heavily on his shoulders. He was standing now, hands held up in a half surrender. Alaster tightened his grip on Nina's hair, pressing the blade harder against her throat, drawing blood.
"No!" Lucius cried out, "If you are angry with me, then do not hurt her. Hurt me!" Alaster smirked.
"You should know," Alaster purred, "I really like it when you beg."
"What do you want from me, Al?" Lucius asked, his eyes dead in defeat.
"I want you to pay for my father's death. I want you to pay for taking my life. I want you to scream and beg like a dog. I want you to sob and know that you're completely alone. I want you to wish for death, but be unable to obtain that which you seek!" Alaster lifted the knife briefly to point it at Lucius. "If you don't want me to hurt your daughter, then get on your knees and beg."
Lucius looked like he would cry, but lowered himself to one knee, then folded the other under him. He flushed when he caught Nina's wandering eyes glancing over his naked body.
"Don't look at him, Love," Alaster breathed in her ear; "Your beautiful gaze is for me alone."
Nina flushed and averted her eyes.
"Beg, Lucius," Alaster snarled; "Beg like a little bitch. Maybe I won't cut out her throat."
"Please," Lucius tried, weakly, "don't do this. Just put the knife down and we can talk."
Nina yelped as Alaster jerked a fistful of her hair.
"Please!" Lucius screamed, "Let her go! I- I'll give you anything you want. You can have money! Lots of money! Let her go!! I- I'm begging you!" He planted his hands on the ground, head bowed. "Please. Don't hurt her. I beg of you."
"Is the most powerful man on this side of the world begging? I can't tell." Alaster tapped the flat of the blade against Nina's throat thoughtfully. "I'm trying to recall what he told me to say earlier after the meeting... I think-"
"I'll be your bitch," whimpered Lucius, "I'll be your little bitch. Just don't hurt my daughter."
"If I remember correctly," Alaster laughed, "you told me to say it louder, Kitten."
"Kitty," Lucius corrected. Alaster stood up suddenly, dragging Nina to her feet.
"You are my kitten! You wanted me to be your little Kitty, hmm bitch? I want to hear you apologize! Grovel like a beggar! Beg! Beg! Beg!" Alaster stomped on one of Lucius' hands, grinding his heel into the back of Lucius' hand. "Beg for your daughter's life!"
"Stop!" Lucius screamed; "Don't! Stop hurting me! Let her go! Let her go!" He wrenched his hand out from under Alaster's foot. "I'm your bitch! Your little bitch! Your kitten! Let her go!" Lucius was sobbing now, his body heaving.
"Alright."
"No! Don't!" Lucius sat back on his heels, looking Alaster in the face for the first time. He flinched at the ice cold blue. Alaster's eyes were worse than ice: unmeltable, hard, unforgiving. "Let Nina leave!"
"I will," Alaster answered. "So shut the fuck up!" He abandoned Nina in a heap on the floor, stalking across the room. He landed a savage kick to Lucius' face. "Shut up!"
Lucius cried out, grabbing his nose. Blood poured over his lips. He scrambled away from Alaster, bumping against a pillar on the far side of the room. Alaster didn't advance any further.
"Nina will be removed from the room," Alaster said, "as long as you do exactly as I say." Lucius nodded obediently. Alaster pointed at the handcuffs, still strewn across the ground.
"Kneel with your legs on either side of that and cuff your feet together," Alaster ordered, jerking his chin up at the stone column. Lucius did as he was told, still wiping blood from his nose with one hand. "Hands the same way: behind your back and around the pillar."
Lucius was immobilized: a bitch on a very short chain. He was stretched around the pillar, completely exposed. The column was pretty wide, and the sharp edges of the stone dug into his back painfully.
"Nina, go bring me that key."
