The Twelve Zenati Pt. 05

Genesis had remained silent, just listening to her talk. He realised that Olivia hadn't so much been brainwashed, as she had been trained and conditioned. She was so desperate to please Remy that she wasn't game to do anything he hadn't approved. Perhaps the medication just made her more susceptible to his training rather than altered her mental state completely. That didn't explain all of her beliefs about herself and her relationship with Remy, but he was inclined to confirm his belief that the man had found her when she was at her most vulnerable and had used that against her.

"You would agree to have Olivia on all of your documentation as long as the people you spoke with called you Liv?" he asked, more to clarify and not because he was inclined to allow it.

"If you insisted," she nodded reluctantly.

"You cannot be Serena any longer. You understand that Remington is gone and so is the woman he created, Serena Seabrook," Genesis said. "It is time that Olivia learned the error of her ways and made amends to the people she treated badly. You can only make that better by making it right with those that Olivia hurt, not by hiding from them. Secrets and lies only hurt those that tell them, as Remington was hurt by his secrets and lies," he said softly as he gently ran his hand over her thigh.

"She is horrible, please. There is nothing she can do to make it better," she whispered and her eyes misted.

"I will never lie to you, Olivia. I will never give you a reason to doubt me or regret your trust in me but, if you want my love and the love of my family and your new friends, you must face up to the reality of who you are and make amends. I will not love you less for mistakes made before I knew you, but if you continue to refuse me, you will continue to be punished. I can help you with making Olivia a good girl who people will like and even love when you are ready, but I will not allow you to hide. This is why you must take back your name. I am not Remy, but like him, if you are rude or disobedient, I will punish you as I have done today by denying you relief for the ache that plagues you."

"I can't do it! I can't face those people. Having Marcella here is unbearable, but I have done it because you asked. I have tried to be good," she had tears in her eyes as she spoke. "I can't go back there. I can't go home to face those people." She shook her head.

"No, you can't go back there, because you belong with me now. That will not change, not while I live. It doesn't matter what anyone tells me about you because everything those people knew about Olivia happened before she became my sweet girl." He bent to kiss her lightly and trailed his fingers up the inside of her thighs. "Only now matters, from the moment Remington was shot and killed. Nothing before that matters to me, because you were not mine to care for and ensure that you were a good girl, little one."

"But Viv said you would understand. She said she would call me Liv," she said, still crying.

"She can call you Liv as your friend. My brothers call me Gen, it is what the people who love us do. But my name is Genesis and yours is Olivia. Up until now you, Olivia Bettina Gambaro, have been my beautiful, sweet girl. You are not a mean girl anymore, but you are letting your fear of the past make you disappoint me and earn you punishments. I want my sweet girl who has been making me happy, and I will help you face your past when you are ready. But I will not let you hide from who you are and who you can be with me. I can love Olivia because she is real. I cannot love a disguise that hides the real you."

"You could love Olivia?" she asked with a hiccup, startled by his words.

"Yes, you are mine. Why would I care for you so completely, both in the hospital and here, if I couldn't love you? I need you to show me that you are worthy of my love. I need you to show me that you want to be my sweet, good girl. I do not enjoy punishing you like this, when I know how you ache, but this, as with everything I ask of you, is your choice," he said sadly, showing just how unhappy he was that she still fought him on this. He may not agree with Vivienne's nickname idea but at least it got her talking to him again.

"Bad men wanted to kill Olivia because she saw them shoot the man," she said quietly.

"Have I not shown you that I will keep you safe?" he asked. "Moved you from the hospital to this place, where no one who means you harm can find you? Are you looking for more excuses to defy me?" He took his hand from where it had been caressing her leg as they spoke so frankly.

"I am scared," she admitted.

"You should be," he said seriously. "I will not change my mind. I am not a man who can be manipulated by tears, excuses or sad stories. You will be brave, as you told Vivienne you would be, and accept your name because I will protect you and keep you safe from all your fears." He took advantage of her admission to push own agenda. "Gideon brought something I had made for you. It will be your choice whether the first time we use it will be for pleasure or for punishment." He picked up the package Gideon had delivered for him. "You will accept your name and all that comes with it and trust me to ensure that Olivia becomes the sweet girl that I can love and, one day, marry."

Olivia stared at him wordlessly. He couldn't love Olivia. No one loved Olivia. She had made sure of it. Not even her mother would love her any more, although she had been too scared, even before she met Remy, to reach out to the woman. Genesis couldn't love Olivia; it just wasn't possible.

"The doctor will be here shortly, and he will help me make sure that this brace will protect you and still allow me to explore your body," he said, checking his watch. "The doctor is my cousin, and you will talk to him and be honest with any answers that you give him."

"Yes Genesis," she whispered. He said that he would love and marry Olivia. He would still look after her and keep her safe if she stopped hiding. If she continued to refuse him, would he leave her? Would he send her away? She had nowhere to go, no one to go to. That wasn't the only reason that the idea of leaving him scared her, but she pushed her own feelings away. She wasn't ready to face them, or face the misery of her life before Remy. Tears welled in her eyes. Why was her name so important to Genesis? Why was he making her do this when she had begged him not to?

He unwrapped the brace that had been made from the design of one created by his cousin Hector for a woman with bruised ribs. It would keep the wound on Olivia's side snugly contained and protected while he could lace it tightly like a corset around her ribs to keep her breathing shallow, protecting the wound further and limiting the amount of pain he caused as he gave her what they both needed. He wanted the physical intimacy of a Dom and his submissive, united in pleasure and pain, as much as he knew she needed it.

Vivienne may have had her ideas today, but he had some of his own, too. If he wanted to strengthen their bond, he needed to do more than tease her body occasionally, leaving them both largely unsatisfied. He needed to take her to the heights she was used to with the sadistic Remington Royce. He may not want an automaton like she had been for Remington, but he knew he wanted a Dom and sub relationship at least in the bedroom, if not in public. Genesis was prepared to help her take back some independence so that she could lead a meaningful life, but he had no intention of entirely giving up the power she gave him. She was his, and he wanted to strengthen that bond, not weaken it.

*****

"Dom tells me you thought you had a heart attack and that you went to Helena," Hector scowled at his cousin.

"You were a bit busy with the Vitali at the time, and it wasn't a heart attack, just some chest pain. I just wanted her to check me over, in case," Genesis said in a conciliatory tone and absorbed his cousin's knowing look. "No one warns you how much it fucking hurts. I assume it's just a genetic thing, that only affects the men in our family? That there's a scientific reason for it. Will it happen again?"

"They do warn us, but we don't listen," Hector chuckled. "As far as I know, more than a few doctors and researchers have tried to find a scientific reason for it over the last few centuries and came up with nada. Maybe it's all in our minds but yeah, it hurt like a mother fucker when I first saw Amy. So, tell me about your girl. I read the hospital chart, but I am sure that your version of the story is much better." He grinned at Genesis.

Hector listened to Genesis' version of events, paying particular attention to the use of drugs on the young woman, and checking the chart again for the blood tests she'd had. He would take some samples before he left and send them to a different lab that could detect even the smallest amounts of foreign agents. If it was still in her system, they might be able to trace it. The likelihood was slim, but you never knew with the Suebi chemists. They had come up with some of the most addictive and detrimental party drugs that he had ever seen during his career.

Olivia watched the two men who stood on the far side of the room near the door. The new man was tall and large like Genesis' brother, Gideon, and had the same dark features. He was obviously the doctor that Genesis had told her was coming, and she sighed. She didn't like doctors and their constant touching and questions. Even Vivienne constantly asked her questions that she wasn't comfortable answering. She resigned herself to yet another examination. Maybe if she showed Genesis that she could be a good girl for him in every other way, he wouldn't force her to take her name back.

"All right, let me examine her, and then we'll talk again," Hector said, having a better understanding of the situation than the chart alone had given.

"Call her Liv, not Olivia," he sighed, wanting her to cooperate with Hector. "We are in a battle of wills over her name still. One that I intend to win tonight depending on how your examination goes," Genesis admitted, his lips turning up at the corners, showing he was looking forward to winning that battle. "She won't respond if you call her by her full name... yet."

Hector took his time to complete the examination, speaking gently to Olivia to explain what he was doing during every minute of his examination. His gently probing fingers sought out not only the fresh wounds on her body but also older ones, as he phrased his questions to be innocuous but yield the highest results. It was a trick that he had learned during his time doing an exchange with a doctor from the Battaglia, where girls, often suffering from long-term abuse, came to heal and join the ranks of servants contracted to the tables. Most sought the safety of contracts rather than trust in rebuilding their relationships with others. When he was done, he helped her pull the sheet up over her body and looked at Genesis.

Olivia had been surprised with how gentle and caring the man had been, even when examining her most intimate areas and the marks that Remy had left on her that still had not faded. She assured the doctor that nothing had been done to her that she hadn't asked for or agreed to. Remy was always sure to get her consent, make her even beg, for the punishments and pleasures that he gave her. When it was over, he helped her cover her nakedness with the sheet before calling Genesis back to her bed from where he paced along the wall near the doorway. She watched as Genesis moved toward her again, allowing the hunger she felt for his touch to rise in her. He cared about her. Of that she was certain. This new doctor was proof of that. But could he love her? Love Olivia? She frowned as she listened to the two men talk.

"You have the brace?" Hector asked, knowing that the question alone would tell Genesis that he believed the girl would endure what he had planned with no adverse effects to the large wound on her side.

"Gideon picked it up from Madrina for me this afternoon." Genesis indicated the brace that had been padded on one side and covered with soft fabric.

"Trust Madrina to be able to work miracles," Hector chuckled, taking the moulded plastic brace from Genesis. It looked more like a corset than a brace now, and he shook his head. "Let's see if she got the measurements right, then." It was doubtful the brace would be anything but perfect, such was the old woman's skill, and he wasn't overly concerned, though he wouldn't tell his cousin that. The wound was healing nicely, and the surgeon who had looked after Olivia at the hospital had done an excellent job of cleaning and stitching the wound back together and then sealing it with the medical second skin to ensure that the healing process was as rapid as possible.

"This is for you, little one. Hector is here to make sure that it protects your wound, rather than causing you any further discomfort. So, you need to be honest with him as he ensures the fit and shows me how best to place it on you and remove it. If you are in pain, you will tell us immediately," Genesis instructed.

"Yes, Genesis," she said quietly. The stiff corset was not what she had expected, and she realised that the doctor had called it a brace not a corset. She frowned as she tried to make sense of the object. The men helped her to sit up again, the sheet falling away from her chest to lay in folds over her legs. They spoke about her comfort as the brace was wrapped around her and pressed into place. It was softer where the dressing covered her wound, and as it was buckled into place, she felt the snug fit was comfortable, although there was pressure to keep her posture ramrod straight. The top of the brace was buckled more tightly, and she found it difficult to draw a deep breath, her chest rising and falling more rapidly with the shallowness being forced on her by the brace.

"Can you take a deep breath?" Hector asked.

"No," she shook her head.

"Try for me please," he said gently, placing a hand over the top of her breasts and another on her upper back. He watched her attempt the deep breath and studied her face for any sign of discomfort. Satisfied that she could breathe easily, if not deeply, he nodded. "Relax back onto the bed now," he instructed and helped her lie down again with Genesis's help. Then he covered her again with the sheet and indicated that Genesis should move away to talk with him.

"You have not escaped your punishment so easily," Genesis said without emotion as he nodded at Hector and held up a finger to ask him to wait a moment. Then he began to attach the cuffs to Olivia's wrists and ankles again before moving away from her with Hector.

"You're going to have to keep control at all times. She's a pain slut at best, a true masochist at worst. I doubt that she will stop you from doing anything to her physically, judging by the marks still fading on her body after more than a week in the hospital and away from her last Master. Not only that, she claims that she asked for, and even begged, for the pain he gave her. She defended him completely, saying that he always gained her consent before doing anything to her. She also admitted to times where he left her alone for days at a time to recover because her body couldn't heal quickly enough. The x-rays they took at the hospital confirm damage that wasn't recorded and possibly should have been, over the last year or so," Hector warned Genesis. "I doubt that she saw more than a general practitioner or paramedic when she would have needed specialist help."

"Yeah, we'd come to that conclusion," Genesis spoke softly and nodded. "That's why I wanted the brace. I can't trust her to tell me if she is in pain, especially given the fact that she talks about her ache as if she is a sex addict going through withdrawal. Giving her a small, soft orgasm while trying to protect her side myself didn't ease her ache for very long and seemed to only make it worse when it returned. Whether it is real or not, physically, it is real enough in her mind to make her crave even just the simple touch of my hand on her arm or leg. She had almost fallen from the bed twice when I removed my hand from her and she had tried to move imperceptibly towards me as I rested."

"I haven't heard of any drug that could act like such an extreme aphrodisiac, but if there is anything left in her system then we should find it. Did the police take her clothes from the day she was shot to examine? Do you have any of them?" Hector asked, wanting to know if some new drug was going to pop up on the horizon as women went through withdrawal now that all, or at least most, of the Suebi tribe in this town had been arrested. He needed to talk to Orlando about any drugs recovered from the bakehouses of their chemists and dealers.

"Yeah. I'll look into it for you, but Orlando probably has more of an idea than me at the moment," Genesis said as he ran his hand through his hair. "I've been out of touch for the last week or so."

"Look, we all get it. We've been there," Hector said understandingly. "Zanto's doing his best with steering all the social media away from our family's involvement, but you're the media king. He and the others would probably like you more involved. You can find answers that would otherwise escape us. So, do what you have to do here, but don't forget that even though the old and new Tables are working together right now, you're needed as much as anyone else, if not more so."

"Yeah, I know. I'm hoping now that we're here, and Olivia is healing better, that I can start breaching the last of the hold Remington had on her," Genesis said. "I'll get an office set up tomorrow and work remotely. I should have done it already but this is a tricky situation, and I haven't been able to leave her alone. I don't think that she would hurt herself on purpose, but I need her to bond with me and I need that bond to obliterate Remington's hold on her. I still don't know if it's training and conditioning alone or the drugs we were told about, or if she wanted that sort of extreme relationship herself and chose what she has become. Without that knowledge, it's hard to know what the best move is, but I do believe what I have planned tonight will break down most, if not all, of her resistance, at least for a little while."

"I can't imagine what it's like having a curse breaker that has been so completely broken, but if anyone can fix her broken wing, you can. You know that we're all here for you, just like always. Whatever you need, just ask. All I am saying is, don't forget we need you to do what you excel at too." He clapped his cousin on the shoulder. "Good luck tonight. Just stay in control and her wound will be protected enough from what you need to do."

"Thanks, Hector. I believe that I am right in this. Remington allowed no one to touch her and her to touch no one but him. She still shrinks from any but the most familiar touch and will only submit to doctors if I command it. Remington still has that claim on her body, and no matter how much I get inside her head, I can't get past that wall. Each time she seems to bend a little for me, she straightens that wall again and shuts down after only a small amount of time," he sighed. He hoped that his cousin would give him some insight. Hector had done part of his residency with the Battaglia after all but instead Hector just nodded, his understanding written across his face. Then he turned and left the room, showing himself out of the suite.

Genesis looked back at the woman that he knew he could love for the rest of his life, if she would only let him, and steeled himself for what he must do. No matter the pleasure she gave him as he took her tonight, he must stay in control, tightly in control.