Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 8

It was true. The sex that Helen and I often shared was hot, heavy, and often rough or domineering—especially with Bobbi. However, we’d also taken time to make love at a slower, sweeter pace. I was pretty sure Helen and I would never be soul mates, but over the past month, she’d become very important and dear to me. And remembering some of the ways I’d caught her looking at me—and sometimes even Erin—maybe she felt the same way.

“I got something for you guys,” Erin said. “I had it special-ordered a while ago, but when I found Helen was going back early, I expedited it and shipped it here after I found the castle.”

She pulled out a small box and slid it across the table to me. It was long and delicate-looking, like something found at a jewelry store. A ribbon was wrapped around it and tied into a simple bow.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A collar,” Erin said. “Kind of like Bobbi’s.”

“What?” I asked, my gaze snapping from the box to Erin.

“Not just like hers. It’s more delicate and decorative but has some of the same tech. Comes with encrypted location, vitals monitoring, and fancy magnets. It doesn’t have the display like Bobbi’s and comes with a few accessories to make it look pretty. It looks a little more like a choker than a collar, but it’s definitely a collar.”

“You had this commissioned?” I said. “When?”

“A couple weeks ago. Before we left,” Erin said.

“You knew Helen would want this a couple of weeks ago?”

Erin hesitated briefly, her eyes searching around the restaurant before settling back on me. “Yeah. I mean, after you took her back from Roger, there was a little shift in your relationship. Everyone could feel it.”

My fingers ran over the box as I considered the implications.

“It’s up to you whether you want to give it to her or not,” Erin said. “If you do, though, she’d accept it.”

I looked back up at her. “You think so?”

Erin nodded. “In a heartbeat, and I think you should. She’s about to head back into an environment that’s probably full of bad memories. She’s a boss bitch now, but that doesn’t mean Roger didn’t do a number on her. I think this,” she pointed at the box, “would be a nice reminder that even if the building and the people are the same, the situation isn’t. She isn’t under Roger’s thumb anymore. She belongs to you.”

I stared at Erin for a long moment, amazed at how insightful the young woman was. “I can’t believe you’ve been sitting on this for so long.”

“What can I say?” she said with a shrug and a wan smile. “I’m expensive for a reason.”

I looked back down at the box containing the collar.

“Are you going to give it to her?” Erin asked.

“Yeah,” I said, not needing to think about it. I was sold on the idea the moment I learned what it was.

“Cool. Give me about twenty minutes. I’m gonna get Bobbi and meet up with Emily and Natashya. The four of us are gonna find something to do with our morning.” Then she held out her hand. “If you let me see your phone, I’ll go ahead and sync the collar to it.”

Roughly thirty minutes later, I stood in front of Helen’s bedroom door, looking down at the box, wondering if this was a good idea. If I showed her this and she rejected it, it would make things weird between us, and I really liked our dynamic.

That was the thing, though. Our dynamic since the day I’d stormed into YPV and had Roger fired was one of dominant and submissive. To someone like Bobbi, perhaps we seemed like equals, but it was very clear to us who held the proverbial reins when we were alone together. Where before, she’d felt more like a guide or mentor when I’d first come across my fortune; now, she felt more like an adviser to royalty. She offered me wisdom, but at the end of the day, the decisions were mine.

In that light, if I walked in there and told her to take it, I had a feeling she would. Erin was certainly confident enough to give it to me in the first place.

That’s not what I wanted, though. Helen and I had been through quite the journey. She’d seduced me in my own apartment and had taken me under her wing. Just as I was starting to get comfortable with her, I’d learned that she was manipulating me, trying to use me to get out of the marriage she was stuck in. I banished her, and she returned to me on her knees. Then Roger took her away just as we got to a good place, bonding over Bobbi’s training.

That day in YPV, I’d laid claim to Helen and had taken her on a table. She’d declared that she was mine. Going into her room and demanding that she put on the collar would have been redundant, and it wasn’t what I wanted out of this situation. I wanted her to willingly—enthusiastically even—accept it.

So, with that in mind, I took a deep breath and entered the room.

Helen stood next to the bed, folding a light pink shirt on the bed next to an open suitcase that looked nearly full. She glanced up at my entrance, giving me a crooked smile as she folded her shirt and tucked it neatly in her luggage. “I had a feeling you were coming.”

“What gave it away?” I asked.

“Erin left with Bobbi a few minutes ago. She said something about giving me some alone time to pack.” Helen arched an eyebrow at the excuse. “It was a little thin.”

“I think you’re a weakness for Erin,” I said, playing with the small box in my hands. “She does a good job of hiding it, but you intimidate her a little. I doubt she’d ever be able to get anything past you.”

Helen snorted and picked up another garment. “We all have our weaknesses.” She paused mid-fold as she noticed the box in my hand and then put it back on the bed. “What’s that?”

“A little going-away present,” I said, approaching her. I opened the box and showed her what was inside—a choker made of a black material that resembled suede or velvet.