"Out." He doesn't look up from her eyes as the men left the room, leaving the two corpses to bleed on the floor. She was shaking and sniffling; her eyes rimmed in red and tears. His thumbs stroked her cheeks. "You are mine now, Kate." A chill runs through her at the emotionlessness in his voice. She tries to pull back and his fingers curl, holding her head still in place, forcing her to stare into depth of this deadly eyes. "Say it."

A strangled sob comes from her lips. Nothing more.

"SAY IT!" His hands pressing in as she gasps and starts at the sudden burst of aggression.

It came out as barely a whisper, followed by a flood of tears. "I am yours."

"Good, rest." He quickly released her head, standing and smoothing himself as he strides out of the room. He motions and turns left and she sees him followed by the two men. Kate eases herself back down to the bed, curling on her side, staring at the open empty door.

She closes her eyes and tries to steady her breath, but all she can smell was blood.

There was no comfort here. She had no idea how long she stared at the door. Afraid to move, feeling the effects of the drugs slowly ebbing away and leaving a soft buzz of pain to crawl under her skin. Her mind racing and careening out of control. She wondered how long she could last. How long it would be before she was a body on the floor as James casual strolled away. If she had anything left in her she would have started to cry again, but she was drained. Exhausted and sore. Desperate to run but tethered to the bed by pain and fear.

Then a wave of something more frightening washed over her. She hated it, but she wanted him to come back. She needed someone to come back and help her.

Steeling herself, she pulled herself to sit, then turn and slowly lower her feet to the floor. She had no idea where she was but she knew she had to get out of this room and away from the death. She winced, pulled the IV from her arm and began the slow but determined walk to the door. She refused to look back, not wanting to see the blood and death behind her.

With slow labored breaths she pulled herself down the hall. Searching for any clue how to get out of the giant apartment she found herself in. If she had not been nearly blind with pain and fear, she would have seen the beauty, the lush design and rich tones, but all she saw was more walls and doors and no way out. She leaned against the wall, holding her arm and side, panting with the exertion of what felt like a marathon through a maze but had just been a short stretch of hallway.

The door popped open across from her as she started to slide helpless down the wall. "Why are you out of bed, Darling?" He crouched quickly beside her, looking her over, his eyes unreadable. "I told you to rest."

She drew in a shallow, shaky breath, "They're still in there."

He grabs her chin and rests his forehead against hers. "I need you to understand some things, Darling." His eyes roll up to hers, boring into her. "When people don't listen to me, I get unhappy. When I get unhappy, the people who don't listen to me get hurt. You don't want me to hurt you, do you Kate?"

Her body tensed as he spoke, trying to pull away. "N-no."

"They didn't listen to me, Kate. They made me unhappy. I hurt them." His grip tightened on her chin. Eyes burning into her. "Are you listening to me Kate?"

"Y-Yes." She tried to keep her voice calm, not wanting to taunt the beast. Her breath in short even sighs.

"Mary Katharine, Don't lie." He rolled his head side to side, eyes closing, foreheads still pressed together. "No, no, no, you aren't listening and you lie and lie. You try to run from me, you say what you think I want to hear thinking I don't know you're LYING." He pulls her head back and squeaks. "I don't want to hurt you Kate, but you're making me unhappy. What happens when you make me unhappy, Kate? Tell me. You're listening? Tell ME!"

She takes a labored breath as he winds his hand deeper in her hair. "When I—make you unhappy—you hurt me."

He lets go of her hair, still holding her eyes to his. "What did I tell you to do?"

"Rest."

He releases her chin and pulls her up to her feet. "Good. Now, you need to rest."

She tensed up as he starts to walk her toward the room again. "I—I can't. They're – still – still in there."

"I know, Darling. They're there so understand I am serious about all of this Kate." He eased her toward the bed and clicked his tongue at her discarded IV "You needed this." He moved it slowly out of the way and shucked back the covers, lowering her delicately into the bed and tucking he covers around her. "I don't want to hurt you Kate. I want to keep you safe, but if you keep lying and lying and fighting and fighting." He paced to the end of the bed and lightly kicked one of the corpses. "Understand."

She closed her eyes and took another shaky breath. "Yes."

A sweet smile spread across his face. "Good." He walked out the room like nothing had happened. "I'll send the nurse to tend to you. Rest."

Kate curled into a ball and resumed crying. Who knew she even had tears left.

ooOOoo

It was a steady campaign after that. Learning what made him be cruel and what made him be kind.

She was coming to terms quickly with the fact that there were now only three constants in her life. James, his moods, and Ana, her nurse.

At least she had Ana. She was making things a little easier.

"You're healing nicely." The young nurse smiled at Kate, checking her wrist and shoulder. Lowering her voice to a whisper. "Has he hurt you?"

Kate just shook her head. She had been careful and lucky. She was staring to learn the game. Do what James says, don't try to trick him, and don't get hurt or worse. Easy.

"If he hurts you, tell me, please." She leaned in close, urgent. "You're almost better and I can get you help, but I need to know if he hurts you. It will take time but if you're in real dang—"

"Now look at this cozy little scene." James was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. A flash in his eyes that told Kate that nothing good could come of this.

"Just—tending to her like you told me to, Sir."

"Tsk tsk Ana, I don't like being lied to." He crossed to them in a heartbeat. "Kate, my darling, how are you feeling? Better? Good. Ana, come with me."

Kate's eyes went wide. "James, please. I didn't. She didn't. I'm sorry." Her voice was barely a whisper, she was learning, she knew what the dead look in his eyes meant in this moment. Ana was not safe.

"Now, now my darling," He reached over to pat her knee almost tenderly, "don't make this harder. It's time to say good bye to your little cohort."

"Please, I'm sorry!"

James took Ana by the elbow and steered her out of the room, looking back at Kate over his shoulder. "We'll discuss this later, Mary Katharine. Now SHUSH!" And with that command, he was out of the room with the one connection to something tender Kate had.

ooOOoo

"So, Ana – "He pressed her into the chair opposite his desk, digging his fingers into her shoulders. "Telling my Katie pretty little lies? You're going to save her? Why on earth do you think she needs saved? She is perfectly safe. No one can take care of her better than I can." He continued the death grip on her shoulders, pinning her into her seat.

Suddenly brave, Ana stayed cool. "I am pretty sure you are the least safe person in the world, James. I agreed to help you because I swallowed your lies about her being hurt working for you. Why are you doing this?"

He released her and moved before her, leaning on his desk. "Because I can. I am a man who gets what he wants Ana. A man who eliminates the obstacles to what he wants. You, little nurse-y, are an obstacle. Your services are no longer needed."

Ana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Feeling the panic rise in her throat, knowing what happens when James decides he no longer needs your service. "I'm sorry James. I'll leave, I'll go and I won't say anything. I swear." She watched his eyes go to the door behind her, seeing the two large men enter and move closer. "Please, James."

They took her by the arms and she let out a shriek. "Bye bye now." He waved as they dragged her out the door.

ooOOoo

Katie heard the shriek and struggles and rushed back to the bed, burying her face into the pillows. James' words from the first night in her head. No one touches what is mine. Poor Ana, she came too close, she touched the part of Ana that James most feared, she touched the part of Kate that still believed she would get out of this alive.