Challenge him, but keep your cool.

The room goes dead quiet as Aden stalks up into the light. Michael looks frightened, while everyone else is doing their best to act like everything's cool. As he moves, he's aware Elizabeth is surreptitiously pulling her tonfa from its sheath and gripping the handle, ready to act if she needs to. Controlling his temper, and keeping the monster on its leash, Aden lifts his hands, palms out toward Rick, conciliatory.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Rick barks, furious. "This is my bitch, and I'll do what I like with her."

"That's an interesting opinion," Aden says, now only a few feet from Rick, hands still up. "Here's my rebuttal: you're a sadistic asshole, I don't like you, and whether or not you think she's yours, I'm not going to stand here and watch you **** her just because you're not enough of a man to get what you want without taking advantage."

"Fuck you, buddy," Rick growls, stabbing his finger into Aden's chest, unaware how close he is to ****. Graham can see it; he steps closer, ready to help Elizabeth if things get out of control. "You can take your little 'thing' and get the fuck out. I own this place, and I-"

"No, you don't," Kate interrupts. "You own exactly one-seventh of it, same as the rest of the board."

Rick rounds on her, spit flying from his mouth as he shouts at her. "You can throw this mother-fucker out, or you can be looking for work tomorrow. Your call!"

Graham laughs. "No way that happens, Dick." He stretches, eyes still on Aden, then points at Rick. "You need five other votes, and you won't get them fer that."

Now getting pushed on all sides, Rick seems to realize he's not winning, and he turns back to Aden, then cracks a sudden smile. "Okay, rich boy, have it your way." He grabs the still-kneeling blonde by the neck and starts to shove her back toward the other women he 'owns'. "We can talk about this some other time, maybe when you grow enough balls to handle real girls."

Even before Aden responds to that, Tommy practically jumps forward at Rick, Kate grabbing her wrist to keep her at a distance for her own protection. "You wouldn't know how to be a real man if you had a guidebook." She's still crying, tears running down her face, her eyeliner and make-up making long black streaks down her cheeks. "Nicki can please a woman better and faster than you ever could. You're nothing but a wanna-be dominant who doesn't have the courage to play with any girl who can defend herself!"

"Get your bitch in check, slick," Rick says, the evil tone back in his voice.

"You try something with me!" Tommy practically screams at him. This isn't about him anymore, Aden realizes. He reaches over and touches Tommy's arm, and she takes a long shuddering breath, biting her lip and looking at her man gratefully. Michael has moved over to her side, and wipes her face with the edge of his shirt.

"I know more about bitches than your faggot boyfriend can even imagine," Rick says.

The front door slams, and Kate looks over to see the rest of the board members and their slaves and subs have come in. Lazlo is already angry, his arm around Freddy's waist. "That sounds like a challenge," he comments, stepping up beside the others.

"Fuck off," says Rick. "You of all people shouldn't be fucking with me."

It's Tommy who comes up with an answer. "Fine, you think you're so good at this. Have you ever made this girl cum? Ever?"

"Who cares?" Rick answers laughing without realizing no one else in the room thinks that's funny. "Bitch is non-orgasmic, anyway."

Tommy kneels down beside the girl. "What's your name?" When the girl looks toward Rick, Tommy stops her, pulling her face back to lock eyes. It's a very intimate gesture, almost loving. "Don't look at him, he doesn't have any part in this right now."

"He owns me outside work," the girl whispers.

Kate bends down beside them, also. "He doesn't really own you. Not the important parts."

The girl suddenly tears up, sniffles. "Please, it's okay." She rubs her nose with the back of her hand, wincing as the abrasions of the ropes on her wrists sting with the salt of her tears. "I deserve this."

"NO." Tommy's voice is angry, firm. "No one deserves to be abused." She points at Aden. "He can be firm, and he can be cruel. But only to someone who really deserves it, or to someone who wants it."

"I do want it."

"Not that, no, you don't," Tommy says, pointing at the tray of thumbtacks. "I can tell."

The girl looks up at them all, then faces the floor again. "You don't know what I've done."

"Can't be any worse then what him and I've done," Graham points out. He's watching Aden, judging him.

Tommy stands and walks right up to Rick, her head not even coming up to his shoulders. "I'll bet you that Nicki can get her off right here, right now."

"Hey-" Kate starts, but Rick starts laughing.

"What the fuck does that matter?"

"If Nick can't do it, then he will give YOU the money to buy the place, and you can be the boss and everything."

"Tommy-" Kate tries to head her off, but Rick's eyes are greedy.

"Bitch will just lie and say she came," Rick says.

"No, she won't," Tommy insists. "With all the sex fiends in here, we'll know if she's faking."

Kate finally manages to break into the conversation. "Tommy, that's not yours to decide. This girl isn't a piece of meat to be traded."

"It's okay," the girl says, shyly. "But you'll lose the bet. No one has ever been able to make me cum, no matter how hard they beat me."

Aden's eyes are sweeping her, top to bottom, taking in muscles, twitches, the way the she's sitting, the way she looks at various people, the way she waits to be told what to do. The utter self-hate, the total submission. The need to be out of her head, to be away from whatever she feels guilty for. He is suddenly aware that he knows what she really needs.

Kate sees him, sees the sweep of his eyes. "You're doing the thing again, Nick."

"The thing?" Michael asks, confused.

"The thing," Aden says, voice cold and frosty. He shivers suddenly, tucking the monster away again. He leans down over the girl, places his hand gently under her chin. "Tommy and I will protect you from him, even if I lose. Do you want to do this?"

"Whatever you want," she says.

"No, that's not good enough," he says. The room is now so quiet you can hear a pin drop. "I need to hear what YOU actually want."

She's gazing up at him, her face conflicted. She studies him, then makes a decision. "I want to do this."

"What's your name in this scene?" he asks, his voice low.

"Pet," she says, no hesitation. She's obviously thought about it.

"Okay, Pet," he agrees. He stands and looks at Rick. "If I win the bet, you leave. You sell out your share of the hotel to me, and you leave. Tonight. And you don't come back."

Rick gives a smug nod. "No way you get this bitch off."

Tommy grins, waving at the rest of the people in the room. "Get back and give my man room to work."