Prince of Darkness vs Prom Queen

"That's the whole point I was trying to prove to her. It was never personal. It was always business."

"Her ass probably thought it was kinda personal. Harding may have lied, given you some story, but she was never like the others. Even though she stood up to you, she was scared. If you had taken one minute to actually listen to her and not see her as a dollar sign, you might have noticed that."

"So, you're saying I never saw her pain or fear. Is that what you're telling me?" He sounded angry.

"Donovan, you never saw her. She was no different to you, than she was to her parents. She was only a business transaction. Hearing that probably hurt her more than the fucking paddle or strap."

"So I suppose now I have to think of some way to make it up to her? Is that what you're saying?"

Victor shook his head in frustration. "Man, your arrogance has no limits, does it? Do you really think you can make it up to her? I'm not talking about the damned paddling. I'm talking about her life. I checked her out a little bit before we came to the island. Wanted to know if someone would be looking for her. That's when I discovered she was pretty much on her own. Talking to her these last few weeks, filled in some of the blank spots. When her own parents couldn't be bothered with her, she started over by taking the job at the ranch. She started over again when she took the job at the magazine. She had an apartment, she was making some friends. Thanks to you and Harding, she lost it all. Her apartment is gone. She can't go back to her job. What is she going to say? Hey everyone, I know I've been gone for a few weeks, but I'm back and wait 'til you hear what I've been up to? She can't even use the magazine job for a reference. I was a great employee until my deranged, asshole of a boss tried to turn me into a sex slave and hired a trainer who kidnapped me and held me captive on his private island, so I missed work for a few weeks. Who the hell is going to want to hire her with a story like that?"

"I didn't really see it like that. I guess you're right."

"Look, Donovan, I know you meant well. You thought you were doing the right thing. She's not stupid and she's not ungrateful. She knows you were trying to help her and you risked a lot for her, but it might have been an even bigger help if you had listened to her, maybe lured Harding to your facility and let her have a go at him with one of your whips. Would've been a hell of a good lesson for him and you might've picked up a few pointers for your next business transaction. Instead, she's stuck starting over again." Victor glanced out the door. "Hey! The sun's coming up and look who's back."

Donovan looked up. Laci, wrapped in a blanket, was trudging up the walkway leading to the house. She looked like she hadn't slept. His first thought was to take her in his arms. His second thought was that he envied the horse Laci had tamed, the original Prince of Darkness. First and second thoughts like those didn't usually have a place in Donovan Corbett's mind. He wasn't sure what to do with them.

As if he could read Donovan's thoughts, Victor watched him, almost trying to will him to act on them. When it became obvious there wasn't going to be any action, Victor glared at his friend in annoyance and stepped in front of Laci. "Laci? You okay?"

She looked at him, her blue eyes tired. "Yeah, Victor. I'm fine. I'm gonna take a shower then I'll come help make breakfast."

"You did good, honey."

"Thanks, Victor." She walked from the room, never even having looked at Donovan.

Victor was looking at him. "Would it have killed you to say something nice?"

"Probably not, but she might've. Maybe we can surprise her and make breakfast for her."

"Wouldn't bother. She won't eat unless she helps prepare it. She's afraid of being drugged again. She remembers the first time and she's not sure if we ever tried it again. She was pretty sick those first couple of weeks here on the island. I told her it was the fever and her own stress and anxiety, but she can't remember much, so she's not sure what to believe."

"I suppose I should try to talk to her."

"Planning to take your clothes off again? Have to tell you, that wasn't much of a thrill."

"That's very reassuring, Victor. It's good to know seeing me naked doesn't thrill you."

"Seeing her naked was nice. Saw her naked a bunch of times when she was sick. Gave her cool sponge baths to keep her fever down. Wouldn't mind doing that again."

"You should watch what you say. I don't think she would appreciate hearing that. Might get you into all kinds of trouble."

Victor poured another cup of coffee. "No it wouldn't," he said smugly. "All I have to do is blame you, hand her the whip, and stand back."

"I won't be able to sign your pay checks with two broken arms."

"Not worried. Doubt she'd be aiming for your arms."

Chapter 7 -- A Wise Man Never Plays Leapfrog with a Unicorn

He was remembering the first time he saw her entering his office. She made him think of a little bit of sunshine. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to have a little sunshine in his life.

At 9am she was standing by the window, sipping from a mug of coffee, watching the ocean waves. Without saying a word, he walked up to her and placed a carrot on the window sill. He knew she was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

At 10am she was sitting on the lanai. Without saying a word, he walked up to her and placed a carrot at the foot of her chair. He knew she was confused as he walked away.

At 11am she was curled up on a chair in the library, reading one of his books. Without saying a word, he walked up to her and placed a carrot on the arm of the chair. He pretended not to see the strange look she gave him.

At noon she was in the kitchen helping Victor prepare lunch. Without saying a word, he walked up to her and placed a carrot on the counter in front of her. He didn't miss the grin on Victor's face or the confused, puzzled and strange look on hers.

She hadn't slept the previous night so after lunch she decided to take a nap. It was mid-afternoon when she woke up. Stretching and yawning, she opened her eyes. There was a carrot on the pillow next to her. Sitting up, she saw her stuffed unicorn sitting on the bed. A carrot was tucked under its foot. Even though he was sitting in the library, he was pretty sure when she saw the carrots, she'd have the same confused, puzzled and strange expression on her face when she came looking for him.

It didn't take long for her to find him sitting at his desk. Dumping the carrots in front of him, she asked, "Sudden craving for carrot cake?"

"No. Victor told me you used carrots to make friends with the first Prince of Darkness. I thought, maybe, the second Prince of Darkness could use carrots to make friends with you." He shrugged. "There's limited produce currently available. I had to choose between carrots and potatoes. I figured carrots were more poetic and a lot safer."

"Safer? Carrots are more poetic? And safer?"

"Yeah......well......as I recall, the last time I tried to talk to you, it wasn't very successful, and considering what you can do with a whip, I didn't want to chance the potatoes."

"You're crazy."

"I don't think it will shock you to learn I actually have heard that before. Could I please talk to you?"

Wow! He said 'please' again. Twice in less than twenty-four hours. Might be a new record. She stood waiting for a moment or two. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"You asked if you could talk to me," she reminded him.

"Oh....right.....umm......you'll have to give me a minute. I wasn't expecting you to agree."

"Let me know when you're ready." She turned to leave.

"Laci! Wait! Please?" Another 'please'. Definitely a record. She turned back. He just sat looking at her. Donovan Corbett didn't apologize for things very often. It was a skill he had never acquired. He really sucked at it, and he knew it. "Victor told me some of the things you told him. I had no idea what you've...........I'm sorry I put you through everything I put you through."

The Prince of Darkness was apologizing? "Are you saying that because you mean it or because you know what I can do with that whip?" She nodded to the wall, where the whip was once again hanging.

He had to think for a minute. "Probably both. Harding was a really good liar. The women he sent to me were always interested in his money. I thought you were the same, and it bothered me that you were. Both you and Victor pointed out how listening to you might have made me think differently. For what it's worth, the people who took Harding away are pretty dangerous and powerful. Clearly the guy wasn't a very good judge of people. He shouldn't have cheated them any more than he should have messed with you, but you won't have to worry about him anymore. No one will."

"Thank you for the apology and for telling me about Frank. I'd prefer not to discuss him, if you don't mind. Is there anything else?"

She wasn't making this easy for him, but he supposed he couldn't blame her for that. "Yes. No. Yes. Maybe.......At least, I think so. Hell, I didn't know this was going to be so hard." He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I think I have a lot of things I want to say, but I don't really know what they all are. Well, I do know what they are, but I don't know how to say them. Maybe I don't know what they are. I think I know. I don't usually have conversations like this, so I don't usually say them. Okay, I know I have things to say, but I don't know if you want to hear any of them. Do you understand what I'm saying? I mean, I think you would understand, but maybe you won't. Do you think you might?"

It all made perfect sense. The man had spent the morning scattering carrots believing they were safer than potatoes, because he was going insane. "Mr. Corbett, why don't you stay right where you are and try to relax? I'll go get Victor."

"Okay, to begin with, I think you can call me by my first name. You've seen me naked. I've seen you naked, although you probably don't want to be reminded about that so you should probably forget I said it, although that's part of what I was hoping you'd understand. Or at least try to understand. I don't even understand, although I am trying. To understand. Do you understand?"

First he said 'please'. Then he developed a sudden affinity for poetic carrots. Next he apologized. Now he was babbling. Maybe it was stress. An aneurysm? A breakdown? She did her best to sound reassuring. "Sure, I do Mr. Corbett...Donovan. I understand. I'm going to go find Victor. I'll be right back."

"NO! Laci, wait! You're not a business transaction." That got her attention. "You aren't like anyone else. You've been working hard and taking care of yourself for a long time. You're a Prom Queen who knows how to handle a whip and could tame a horse nobody else could tame. Other people sleep with teddy bears or maybe dogs, but you sleep with a unicorn. You sleep with a fucking unicorn, Laci."

"I know." He didn't miss that she was looking at him as if he was totally deranged. "It's nice to have something warm to cuddle with on a cold night. Want to borrow him? You might feel better after a nap. His name's Virgil."

He stared at her. "His name's Virgil? What the hell kind of a name is that for a unicorn? Virgil?"

"He doesn't seem to mind," she shrugged. "What would you have named him? Horny?"

"It's a hell of a lot better than Virgil. Virgil?" He was mumbling to himself. "No damned, self-respecting unicorn wants to be called Virgil."

It was official. He said 'please'. He believed carrots were safer than potatoes. He was arguing about the name of a stuffed animal. The Prince of Darkness was going insane. "VICTOR!" Luckily it only took a few seconds for Victor to appear in the doorway. He was looking at both of them a little hesitantly, undoubtedly recalling the last time he had been called to the library. "Victor, Mr. Corbett doesn't seem to be feeling too well. Maybe you can help him go lie down for a while."

"Thanks, Laci." Victor looked at him with concern. "What's wrong, Donovan?"

"The fucking unicorn's name is Virgil. Would you sleep with a unicorn named Virgil?"

Victor looked at Laci who gave him her best 'told you so' look. "No, Donovan, I wouldn't. My unicorn's name is Starflower Rainbow. I only sleep with girl unicorns. Made that rule a long time ago."

Great. They were both crazy, and she didn't even know where the damn phone was to call for help.

Seeing the expression on Laci's face made Victor continue. "Look, Laci, I think he's trying to apologize and wants to give you some help. Since these are not concepts Donovan Corbett understands, he undoubtedly referred to the 'Idiot's Guide', but his copy seems to have been written by the genuine idiot. Donovan, cut the bullshit and talk to her. If she likes what you have to say, maybe she'll name her next unicorn after you." Without a backward glance, Victor left them alone.

"He's right, Laci." The Prince of Darkness was floundering. "I am trying to apologize and offer to help you but I don't know how to do either. I never apologize and I can't believe you would even consider accepting help from me."

"Why do you want to help me and what kind of help are you talking about?" Her suspicion was obvious.

"Why? I guess partially because I feel like I owe you. I have no doubt Frank Harding had every intention of shooting me and probably Victor. I think he's been going off the deep end for a while. Aside from his perversions and swindling people who shouldn't be swindled, he set fire to my house. Those aren't the actions of a rational person. I also want to help because I know how tough you've had it, how you've worked for everything you've ever gotten. I'd like to see you get a break."

"Are you trying to bribe me so I don't try to have you arrested?"

"No. I thought that was part of it, but no, that's not the reason. I am sorry for what I did to you while you were my......guest....but, you're smart and you're fair. I might have seen you as a business transaction that night, but that's not the case anymore, and we were both duped by Harding. I don't believe you're going to press charges. That's not the kind of person you are."

"What kind of person am I?"

"The kind that sleeps with a fucking unicorn named Virgil. That's a hell of a name for a unicorn!"

"What makes you such an authority on unicorn names? Are you some kind of damned unicorn whisperer? If it bothers you that much, I'll change the name. I'll call him something else. I don't think he'll mind. I'll call him Matthew. That's a nice name."

"You're going to call him Matthew?" Donovan was yelling in disbelief. "You can't name a unicorn Matthew. He would hate the name Matthew."

"Well I'm sure as hell not calling him Horny!" She was yelling back. "Now if you don't have anything else to say, I'll leave you alone and go talk to Matthew and try to explain why his name is no longer Virgil. That conversation will make just about as much sense as this one." She turned to leave.

"Laci, please wait. I really want to talk to you. Can we just forget about the unicorn?"

She turned back. "Look, Mr. Corbett, if it makes you feel better, I accept your apology. Virgil, Matthew, and I all accept your apology. None of us will press any charges. None of us want anything from you except to get off this island and go somewhere so we can start over and try to have a real life."

"Where is that? Where is somewhere? Where are you going to go?"

Suddenly all the fight was out of her. "I don't know." Her eyes were very shiny. "A place where I can get a job, make friends, do normal things with those friends like go shopping or to a movie. Find a place where no one is going to try to trick me into being a sex slave or lock me in a freezer. Maybe some place close enough to the ranch I worked at so I can drive there sometimes. That was the closest thing I had to a real home."

Laci Grace suddenly seemed very young and very fragile. Without thinking more than he needed to, Donovan did what he wanted to do the first night he met her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, just holding her.

They stood together for a moment or two before he realized she hadn't pulled away, still she seemed uncomfortable, but it wasn't like she was afraid. It was more like she wasn't accustomed to being hugged and didn't quite understand why he was doing what he was doing. Maybe when she figured it out, she could explain it to him. The Prince of Darkness was even more in the dark than usual. When she finally pulled away, she watched him with a guarded and perplexed look in her blue eyes.

"Laci, where is the ranch you worked at?"

"Southern part of Tennessee. Why?"

"Just asking." He couldn't fault her for being suspicious.

"I'm going to help Victor with dinner."

He watched her go finally understanding Victor's comment about her not living the life of a Prom Queen, but deserving the tiara. She was definitely unique. He'd known a lot of people...women, men, masters, slaves, dominants, submissives, people he knew socially, people he knew professionally, people he'd met in his travels, and not one of them was anything like Laci Grace. Victor was probably right when he said referring to her as a business transaction hurt her more than the forty strokes from the paddle. Her sore ass healed in a few days. He wasn't sure her feelings would ever heal.

Donovan sat for a long time staring at nothing. A sound at the door caught his attention and he looked up to see Victor entering the library. "If you're done playing carrot fairy, Laci and I are making stew for dinner."

"Go ahead and take them. She doesn't think carrots are poetic, anyway."

"Of course they're poetic. Donovan sat and played with his carrot, while sharing claret with his parrot. How much more poetic can you get than that? Girl must be crazy. Did you talk about helping her?"

"She doesn't know where she's going. She doesn't seem to have any idea what she's going to do."

"Did you talk to her?"

"She's not pressing criminal charges."

"Did you talk to her?"

"She accepted my apology. So did Virgil and Matthew."

"Who the hell is Matthew?" Victor was almost shouting with frustration.

"She's renaming the unicorn Matthew." Victor was smiling knowingly, making Donovan grumble, "What's your problem? You seem to have some insight, so if you have the answer I'd like to hear it."

"Question - why were you so damned hard on her that first night? Ever meet her before?"

Donovan shrugged. "I saw her once at some gathering. She kept looking at me."

"Women look at you all the time. Did you think she stopped looking at you and started looking at Harding?" Donovan didn't appear to understand so Victor continued. "Why didn't you give her a safe word? Isn't that on page 2 of the HOW TO BE A GOOD DOM book? It comes right after page 1, the part about not falling for the slave or submissive you're training for someone else. Something about her intrigued you and you were pissed as hell because you thought she was intrigued by someone else."

"Look, Victor, it's true I thought she could do better than Harding. That doesn't mean I was interested."

"Course not. Doesn't explain why you sat outside the cell door that night listening to her crying, or why you turned almost as purple as her sore ass when you thought I was fucking her. Or why the first time you attempted to talk to her you switched roles and became her submissive. You're not interested."

"What the hell does that mean? When was I her submissive?"

"Donovan, you stripped bare-ass naked without her telling you to. You just did it. You let me tie you to the damned door. Master Donovan.........and you barely questioned it. You just did it."