He needs to learn a lesson.

Before Graham or Elizabeth can interfere, Aden strides forward and grabs Rick by the wrist, pulling the man around so they are face to face. This close, Aden's face is practically demonic, his eyes cold and alien. There's no mercy or sympathy on his face, just ****, and he leans into Rick's personal space, pressing close so Rick can't get away from him. The blood drains from Rick's face, and pain washes across him as Aden squeezes his arm tight enough to hurt. No one moves; some people are too shocked to react, while others are secretly happy to see Rick finally getting push-back. Rick himself is frozen now, fearful, aware that there is something different, something murderous, inside Aden. The front door slams, and Kate looks over to see the rest of the board members and their slaves and subs have come in.

"I'm going to say this one time," Aden murmurs, voice low and even again. "If I ever see you hurting someone like that again, I will break all the bones in your body."

"Everybody just gunna stand here and let this ugly fucker throw his weight around?" Rick asks, aiming to sound tough but coming off as fearful whining. "Lazlo? Anne?"

Both of them look like they'd rather be anywhere else, but they both step in, his control over them obvious. Lazlo places his hand on Aden's shoulder; if Aden notices, he doesn't give any sign of it.

Anne glances over toward Kate, silently pleading for help. Kate is frowning, upset; Aden's monster is in charge and he has no chance of reading her right now. He tightens his grip on Rick, levering the man's arm into a painful pretzel, driving Rick down to his knees next to the tray of thumb tacks.

"That's an interesting device," Aden says, now forcing Rick down face-first so his face is a few inches from the thousands of tiny steel points. "Kate, what was that you always taught me about safe dominance?" Graham and Elizabeth are moving now, approaching him from both sides. He ignores them, bending down over the cowed sadist. "That's right. Never do anything to a sub you haven't tested on yourself first." Rick's terrified now, jerking back, trying to get free; if Aden pushes another inch or two, Rick's face will go into the tray, and if he's lucky he won't be blinded. "What do you think, Rick? Should we give this a try?"

"Stop. Right now." Elizabeth has the tonfa in her hands, and she taps the back of Aden's thigh. "That's enough."

Graham kneels alongside Rick, looking up at Aden. His face is more understanding than angry; he runs one wiry hand through his grey and black hair, the other hand on Rick's shoulder, keeping him from going into the tray. "Mebbe you think it's worth it, troop," Graham says to Aden, calm and rational. "Lord knows I thought about it once 'r twice." Aden isn't responding, but he also hasn't pushed any farther; maybe he's taking it in, or maybe he's just waiting for Graham to get out of the way. "But you do this right here, right now, y'think yer girl'll forget what that looks like?"

That does it. Aden suddenly releases Rick and takes two steps back, his hands trembling. He takes a deep breath, and then turns and looks at Tommy. She's crying, scared for him. When he scans the rest of the room, he sees everyone else is frozen, tense, afraid of him and what he can do.

The only one who isn't quiet is Rick, who scrambles to his feet, trying hard to play off his own fear, trying to reclaim his authority over the room. "Fuck you, buddy," Rick growls, stabbing his finger in Aden's direction, 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 stands and 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.

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. And I'm not exactly sure Nick is in the right mental place to be playing with anyone."

"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 looks toward Kate, smiles. "It's okay, Kate, it's all okay." 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."